TD: The Final Battle
by The Terror of Dimensions
Summary: TD's oldest and greatest enemy, The Nameless One, has finally come to exact revenge on the Chaotic human for defeating him many hundreds of thousands of years ago. TD is determined to defeat this foe- this time for the last time- before he loses everything he loves and cares for. But could this fight be the last for the Terror of Dimensions? [WARNING: Lot's of OC and cast deaths!]
1. Recruitment and Favors Needed

**It's finally here! The finale you've all been waiting for!**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Evan felt a sharp pain across his head as he opened his eyes, and looked around. He wasn't sure where he was or why he was inside a dark room.

"What the-?" he exclaimed as he tried to move, but found that he couldn't. Then he realized that his body was strapped to something akin to a chair. Because of the dim light, that's all he was able to figure out for now.

"What happened?"

Just then, he heard what sounded like approaching footsteps of metal, clanking against the floor just outside the room he was in. A door opened and a four-armed figure walked into the room. He seemed to be some kind of robot with orange glowing lights for his eyes. A kind of evil smirk was on his face- yes, he seemed capable of showing facial expressions. To top it all, this robot was roughly human size, if not taller, and while his design was a bit squarish for his body and head, he seemed to be well built. Looking back to Evan, the robot smirked as he sat in a chair that had been hidden in the darkness across from him.

"Evan the Planes-Walker," the robot spoke in a male voice that was half-synthesized. "We meet at last."

Then everything started to come back to him, and he remembered exactly why he was there...

 **-Flashback-**

Evan was going towards the flower shop of Ponyville while humming a catchy tone to himself. It seemed to be rather nice day. In fact, things had gotten much better around in Ponyville and Equestria as a whole, since a few years after his marriage to the love of his life, Cheerilee. Especially now since they were feeling a limitless happiness, as time was soon going to bring them their very own bundle of joy.

As he approached the flower shop, he saw that Lyra and Bon Bon were standing outside. Then suddenly, he sensed something suspicious. Checking in sky using his hidden power, he noticed that the suspicious object seemed to be some kind of ship. He felt as if he knew about that ship.

"Lyra!" Evan called to the mint-green unicorn.

"Huh?" She remarked as she looked towards him. "Oh, hey Evan... how are you?"

"How's Cheerilee?" Bon Bon asked.

"We both are fine, thank you," He said with a smile and then became a little serious. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What?" Bon Bon inquired.

"I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like something's not right here," he explained with a sigh while those two gave him a concerned look. "I'm going to check things out... so will you please tell this to Cheerilee, so she wouldn't get upset?"

They both looked towards each other and then towards him and passed him a nod.

"Of course we will. You take care of yourself," Lyra said.

"Thank you! Both of you. You're the best!" He called as he hid his head in a black hood and disappeared. Opening his eyes once again, he found himself inside the ship in question.

"Now time to look for the trouble maker..."

At first, things had gone rather swimmingly. He had managed to not run into any enemy patrols and managed to find a room that had spiked some interest. However, his curiosity had turned to horror when he found one of the rooms stocked with thousands upon thousands of deactivated robots of some kind. And all looked as though they were built for one purpose: war. A few more glances around at other rooms onboard the ship confirmed his suspiscions, but he still felt uneasy. It was quiet and empty. A little too much of both...

Then something had hit him in the back of the head and everything had gone dark as the laugh of a robotic voice echoed in his mind.

 **-Back to present-**

"Hmm... The Nameless One?" Evan asked in a half-surprised tone, as a sarcastic smile crossed his face. "I suspect that you're preparing for a failure of an attack yet again?"

The Nameless One chuckled. "I'm looking for a weapon to aid me in this new conquest I've been planning. But I cannot find him alone, Evan. That's where you come in." The robot leaned close to him, a frown on it's face. "Where is the Beast of Time?"

Evan's eyes widened in slight shock as he asked this. Then he shrugged and looked towards the Nameless One.

"You mean that rouge creature who likes to mess up time lines for the sake of entertainment, and was locked away long ago...? Sorry, no idea where he is."

The Nameless One growled. "Don't play dumb with me, kid. You know exactly where he is, and you will tell me!" His grin became more sinister. "That is, unless you want your wife and unborn child to suffer."

He pressed a button on a remote that he suddenly whipped out, and the floor opened up as a platform ascended from the darkness within. Out from it, chained by the neck and all four legs to the floor, was Cheerilee, looking rather worn out. She looked up to Evan, and her eyes widened in horror.

"Evan!" she shouted.

"Cheerilee?!" Evan was now truly shocked. "When- How- You monster!" Evan growled at him. "You better leave her NOW! Or else..."

"Or what?" The Nameless One scoffed. "Last I checked, you're in no position to demand anything from me." He casually strode over to Cheerilee and held up what seemed to be a handheld taser. "So now, the Beast of Time. Where is it?"

Cheerilee's eyes filled with tears, even as she tried to put on a brave face.

"Don't listen to him!" she pleaded. "It's not worth it!"

"The Beast of Time! WHERE IS IT?!" The Nameless One demanded, the taser now inches away from Cheerilee, particularly near her somewhat swollen stomach.

"STOP!" Evan shouted with anger, then in a lower voice he spoke. "I'm ready to talk..."

The Nameless One smiled wickedly as he patiently waited for the answer, still keeping the taser close at hand just in case.

"No..." Cheerilee whispered, almost inaudibly.

"I know where he is..." Evan said. "I can't exactly tell you where, but he lives in a broken timeline... so no one can reach him there... not even you. I told you what I know. Now let her go..."

The Nameless One smirked, then turned to Cheerilee and said something that surprised Evan even more.

"CH-09, activate reset code 24971."

Cheerilee, or what Evan had thought to be her, suddenly dipped her head in an unnatural way and he heard the sound of a robot powering down. The Nameless One chuckled at the expression of disbelief on Evan's face.

"Credit where it's due," the Robot Master said mostly to himself. "The Institute sure knows their craft. If I didn't already know that was a synth, then I would've fallen for it too."

Evan was really confused until he realized that, it wasn't Cheerilee at all. A mixed wave of relieve and concern went through his body.

 _So, it's possible that Cheerilee is safe and sound back in Equestria. I hope so..._ he thought.

A smirk appeared on his face. "It's a good thing that I didn't spill the beans all at once."

The Nameless One smirked as well. "Or did you? I've been working on something that allows me to travel to different times, even broken ones. And all with a little help from an ancient and powerful being from a world not too far from Equestria."

A radio noise was heard from his person and he spoke into it.

"What is it, lieutenant?" he asked.

"Sir, he has arrived," a voice spoke. "Mephiles is here."

"Good. Tell him I'll be coming around shortly. There's some unfinished business I must attend to first," he answered. The coms went silent and he turned back to Evan.

"That's my que," he said, then brought from behind his back a familiar book. "I don't think you'll be missing this in your current state."

"My book!" Evan said closing his eyes and moved violently to break the binds which were holding him immobile, and even managed to break a few binds before tiring himself up and breathing heavily. "You stole my book... why do you even need a meaningless story book?"

"Because all stories come from somewhere," The Nameless One replied. "Even the tall tales are usually derived off of something that really happened. All it takes is for someone to read between the lines. And your stories provide many clues that I need." He walked out of the room with a laugh. "I suggest you get comfortable before the neuro-toxins kill you off. Goodbye, Evan the Planes-Walker. You will be missed... by your family."

The robot master laughed as he exited the room and clouds of green gas started to fill the room, powered by a generator that was nearby but far out of Evan's reach.

"I need to get out of here!" Evan said in panic as he looked around. "Evan, collect yourself... you can't die like this, you have an answer for any question... you can do this..." He calmed himself as he slowed down his breath, until he held his breath completely.

 _I still have my planes-walking ability,_ he thought as he focused on the ground beneath him to create a portal. A light glow appeared for a while, but then disappeared, because he was too stressed and worked up to do something like that.

Just then, he noticed from one of the vents the gas was leaking out of a figure around his size hop out and stand before him. It was a red hedgehog with a yellow left eye and a blue right eye with a scar running across it. He also wore blue shoes and white gloves, and didn't seem at all affected by the neurotoxins. He turned to the generator and pulled out some weird looking tech objects seemingly from out of nowhere and then stuck them on the generator.

"Warning!" a male AI spoke in a monotone voice. "Core corruption at 75 percent. Neurotoxins, offline. Ventilation system, offline."

The hedgehog rubbed his hands together in satisfaction, then turned to Evan and rushed over to him. Quickly and skillfully, he worked out the knots that bound him and soon the equine was free. It was then that the hedgehog spoke.

"Evan the Planes-Walker, I presume?" he asked.

"No times for formalities!" Evan yelled. "Get me out of here quickly, Red!"

"Aw, come on! Can't let me have my fun?" Red pouted in a false manner. "Fine, but I have a question to ask first and it's really important: can you survive the vacuum of space?"

Evan nodded and hid his face again in his hood while the hood started to glow. "Now I can..."

"Good. Now, follow me. Our getaway is waiting," Red told him. "I'm gonna have to go fast, so keep up the pace!"

With a single blow from Red's hand, the door flew off its hinges, and then he rushed out of the room and down the corridors with Evan behind him all the way. As they ran, alarms sounded and several soldiers, human soldiers, filled the halls and tried to cut off their escape. It proved to be a fruitless gesture, for Red simply rushed by them while also making sure to take them down so his friend wouldn't have to fight them himself. Finally, they reached a kind of hangar where Red stopped for a moment and spoke onto a coms set.

"Doctor, I've got the package, and we're waiting for pickup at the east hanger," he spoke.

"Hang on! I'm almost in position," a voice replied on the other end of the line. Red sighed and pulled out a grandfather clock from... wherever he gets these things, and set it down. The hands indicated that it was roughly five minutes till twelve.

"Now, we wait..." Red muttered.

"Wait... for what?" Evan asked. "And why? Do you have any idea how risky is to wait right now...?"

"I do, but we don't have a choice," Red explained. "I suggest you get ready for a fight, because like it or not-"

He stopped and frowned, looking around the room.

"Is it me, or does it suddenly feel... cold?" he asked. In answer, a puddle of shadows appeared on the floor nearby and a grey figure rose from it, giving them a cold gaze.

"What is this you see?" the figure spoke in a familiar voice. "I take the form of Shadow, but I am not Shadow."

Red growled. "Mephiles. Glad that we finally meet face-to-face."

"Mephiles..." Evan said. "You're the one Nameless was talking about..."

"A good deduction, but I'm surprised one with your knowledge wouldn't know," Mephiles remarked. "Sadly, you won't be going anywhere. I can't kill you, for my new partner wants me to bring you in alive." He turned to Red, and if he was capable of making a smirk he would've. "He said nothing about the rodent."

"Ah! I didn't realize you liked me!" Red joked. This didn't seem to make Mephiles happy, as an army of shadow clones appeared nearby.

"Drown in darkness, fool!" he shouted as all of his energy rushed towards Red. The hedgehog, however, was prepared. With accurate precision and skillful combative prowess, he perfectly managed to take on all the clones, even when they seemed to attack him all at once; kinda like a Master Builder from the Lego movie. Red smirked himself.

"Really? It'll take much more than that to stop me," he chuckled.

"What do you want from me?" Evan demanded.

"Your knowledge, your power, anything we find useful," Mephiles replied as his form became crystallized and an army of clones of himself appeared. "And it doesn't matter how many of my clones you kill. You can't win and you can't defeat me."

Red grimaced as the clones started to advance. As he did, he heard the grandfather clock chime and chuckled. He kept laughing while walking over to the eject button on the hanger doors, distracting the evil entity before him. Finally, Red stopped and gave Mephiles a smirk.

"Tell your partner he'll have to wait," he said, and then hit the eject button, causing several crates or ships in the hanger to get sucked out the doors, while Red and Evan somehow managed to stay in place.

"NO!" Mephiles shouted in anger. Evan smirked as he gave the entity a final look.

"Don't worry! I'll make an entry for you once I get my book back..."

He and Red were then sucked out of the hanger and were now floating in open space.

 _"Great! What to do now?"_ Red heard him speak telepathically.

 _"Don't worry,"_ Red answered back. _"Pickup is here in three... two... one..."_

As soon as Red finished, a familiar looking Police Box could be seen flying towards them while Red grinned like a fool. The doors opened up and they soon found themselves inside what was undoubtedly The TARDIS. Red stood to his feet and chuckled.

"Perfect timing Doctor, as usual," he said. From behind one of the control panels came a familiar form to Evan... at least down in Ponyville. It was the old Keeper of Time himself, Doctor Hooves. Now that Evan was thinking about it, the controls in the TARDIS looked like they were made for a pony to operate and just at the right size, although there was also a set of larger controls in case of a different occupant.

"Ah yes! Well, I couldn't have made the jump without your calculations," Doctor Hooves remarked as he flipped a switch. "Now, let's get the hay out of here, shall we?"

"With pleasure!" Red answered, flipping some switches or pressing buttons.

"Of course..." Evan muttered. "Thanks Doc."

"No problem!" Hooves answered. "And before you ask, yes I'm from TD's Equestria, not your own. This would be my fifteenth reincarnation by now, and most likely my last too. Now then, we have some people to warn of the upcoming doomsday."

"Yes, why not..." Evan said. "But first, I need to get to my home. My beloved wife needs me there..."

"If I may be so bold as to say this," Red spoke up. "It'd probably be safer for her to not remain in your Equestria for the time being. The Nameless One can't afford to waste his resources, but he can bring up an impressive task force that can take away all you love." He sighed. "As ironic as it sounds, especially since that's his target, your family is far safer in TD's Equestria than your own."

"But what about my other friends? I can't flee like a coward while they suffer!" Evan remarked. "You've something to say about that?"

"They are in no danger. The Nameless One will not target them if your family is gone," Red commented. "He wants to motivate you, and what better way to do that than to go for those you love most?" He sighed. "But if it'll make you feel better, I've already taken steps to keep your friends safe just in case."

The TARDIS made a whirring sound and Dr. Hooves smiled.

"I believe this is your stop, Evan," he stated. "I suggest you find your family and get them to safety as soon as possible. We'll warn the others. Good luck!"

"Right," Evan nodded. "I'll be back in few moments!"

Then he moved from his place and disappeared in a blink of an eye. When Evan opened his eyes, he noticed that he was in the bedroom of his home. Cheerilee was lying on the bed while Nurse Redheart was standing beside her. As Cheerilee looked towards him, she smiled uncontrollably.

"Evan, you're... alright."

"Yes," Evan said as he came closer to the bed and nuzzled her. "I'm so glad you're alright as well." Then he looked towards Redheart who gave him a calm smile.

"Don't worry, everything is fine... I was just here for a daily checkup," she explained and picked up her saddle bag. "I'll be going now."

Cheerilee sat up on the bed and waved a hoof towards the nurse. "See you next time."

"Thank you so much Miss Redheart," Evan said and then sighed. "Please take care of yourself."

"Strange..." she smiled. "That is what I usually say... anyways I will, and you better pay more attention to her. She is, after all, carrying another life as well."

"I will," Evan promised. She smiled and left, leaving them alone in their house.

He took a sigh and said, "We need to go," as his cloak shrouded both of them. "It's not safe if we stay here any longer..." Evan kept nuzzling close to Cheerilee to keep her calm. "I'll explain everything on the way..."

They both disappeared without a sound, back inside the TARDIS. Cheerilee seemed a little worn and was hugging him tightly, and a saddle bag was strung over his back.

"I'm back..." he said to The Doctor.

"Splendid," Dr. Hooves replied with a nod. "We'd best be on our way."

He started flipping switches and pulling levers to take them to their next destination. Although Evan noticed rather quickly that Red was nowhere to be seen.

"Red's already back in his own world," Hooves explained. "He'll be back soon." He then noticed Cheerilee and her condition. "Now I'm glad that I took up more than one profession upon entering TD's Equestria. How are you, ma'am?"

"I'm alright, thanks," Cheerilee blushed as she released Evan from hug. "Evan... care to tell me what's going on here?"

"Madam," Hooves spoke again. "...Your life is in grave danger. We're taking you to my Equestria. You'll be safer there."

"Your Equestria?" Cheerilee asked in confusion and looked towards Evan.

"Don't worry my dear," Evan said as he hugged her again. "Everything will soon be cleared."

"I suggest you hold onto something," Hooves remarked. "Because I'm gonna have to make a short cut to avoid the Nameless One's fleet. It's not dangerous, but it will be a bumpy ride!"

He pulled down one final lever, and the TARDIS started to shake about as if experiencing air turbulence. Cheerilee wasn't sure what Doc meant, but they both did as Doc told them.

"Oh Creator, protect us!" Evan made a prayer in whisper. The TARDIS rocked about for a moment, then everything was still once more. The Doc made sigh of relief.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, we have arrived," he remarked. "Please leave in an orderly fashion, and try not to trip on the third stair there. If you don't like the stairs, you may use the ramp too."

Cheerilee opened her eyes and took a look at the outside. It wasn't much different from their Equestria.

"It was a little scary," Cheerilee admitted. "I hope I didn't have to do that ever again."

"Hopefully," Evan agreed, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

 _For now, I hope we didn't make a mistake to come here to that chaotic fool's Equestria,_ he thought.

* * *

 **Eleven Earth years (Thousands of Equis years) ago...**

 _A boy of about seven years old walked around the backyard of his home, a dry dusty area in the middle of New Mexico, USA.* He was feeling bored. Nothing much happened in his area worth mentioning, the heat of the sun usually made it unbearable to stay outside for too long, and his other siblings weren't able to play for the time being. All the above made him staying outside feel boring._

 _Stepping over a small ditch that marked the boundaries of a half-mile wide field outside the house, the only green and growing stretch of land he could find outside the almost-dead bushes that surrounded the backside of his house on a small ledge, the boy walked towards the one place he felt could give him a thrill: a large pipe meant to pour out any water from the river-like ditch above him on the ledge down into the field. However, that same ditch was empty and allowed for a perfect look inside the pipe. Usually, it was also empty but also gave off a nice cave-like feel to the place, despite being damp most the time. It also provided a cool environment from the dusty-dry state outside._

 _However, today he found that he was not alone in the pipe. For lying against the walls of the pipe, gasping for breath, was a strange human-like creature that the boy had never seen before. He couldn't tell what it was, only that it was on the brink of death- yes, at that age the boy was well acquainted with death and the like; having a chicken farm and lots of stray cats in your area can do that to you. The figure's features were hidden behind a large cloak he was wearing, brown in color and torn in multiple places. Cautious, but also curious, the boy crept closer to the humanoid figure._

 _"Are you... okay?" he asked. "What should I do?"_

 _The figure looked up at the boy, causing him to gasp when he noticed the figure's eyes. They were not human eyes, but glowed with a yellowish-orange light and seemed to pierce into his very soul, chilling the boy a bit. A raspy, gasping voice spoke from the figure._

 _"I have found you... the one to take my place... young William..."_

 **-Present day, Equis-**

"William? William!" a female's voice snapped the human known as TD out of his train of thoughts and he looked to see his wife, Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing beside him on the balcony of the Castle of Friendship, giving him a curious expression. She seemed to have noticed his far-off gaze and had been trying to speak to him. Twilight came up close and sat beside him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked gently, nuzzling up against him in an affectionate manner. TD managed to smile now and stroked her mane with his right hand.

"Yeah. Just remembering something from my childhood," he admitted. "From when I first got my powers."

Twilight smiled as well now and wrapped one of her wings around him as he held her close. She was still smaller than he was in pony form, but she was definitely bigger than she had been when they had first met; she was just slightly taller than Tempest Shadow was when they first met, who had been at least half a foot taller than the Princess of Friendship. Still, she was small enough for TD to take onto his lap and cuddle with almost like a big plushie, something they both enjoyed when they were alone. The thought made the two of them giggle lightly for a moment. TD sighed as he looked out into the sky high above Equis, and Twilight gave him an understanding look.

"You miss your other family, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," TD admitted. "I know that I left my original of being behind so they wouldn't know the difference, but... it doesn't take away the feeling." He sighed again. "And the worst part is knowing that they are still unaware of my secret life as TD."

Twilight nodded. "Well, you can always visit them. The sooner the better."

"But I can't leave you while the Nameless One is out there still," TD insisted. "Until that's taken care of, I'm staying here."

As if to partially grant his wish, he suddenly heard Dr. Hooves calling him from down below.

"What is it, Doctor?" TD inquired, hearing the tone of urgency in his voice.

"TD! The Nameless One... he's on his way here!" The Doctor gasped. "And what's more, Evan is here too! We've both seen his fleet, and he's armed for war!"

TD's eyes widened with surprise and alarm, then he looked to Twilight urgently.

"Get the girls!" he half-shouted as he stood to his feet. "Tell them to meet me up in Canterlot as soon as possible! I'll see you there!"

With a snap of his fingers, TD disappeared while Twilight flew off in a certain direction to find her friends.

* * *

"This is the end of the road, Skeletor," Chuck said, imitating the action figure he held in his right hoof. "For I have the power of Greyskull on my side!" He laughed. "Ah! I'll get you, He-Man!" he cried out in a shrill, whiny voice from the other action figure, clashing the two together.

"Hey Chuck! Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash's voice called from outside the hive. "Put down your action figures and loaded dice, respectively, and get out here now! This is an emergency!"

"No emergency is so important that a man must walk away from his He-Man action figures, but alas," he grumbled, setting them down. "This had better be cataclysmic."

"What's going on?" Pinkie asked, joining him. She then added in Rainbow Dash's direction, "And how did you know I had loaded dice?"

"None of your concern," Rainbow Dash remarked. "And the emergency is a 'your friend calls for aid' kind."

Chuck sighed. This (or at least the information given) did not qualify as cataclysmic enough to be disturbed.

"Whatever this is, it had better kill me, because that's the only way this situation can redeem itself from being a waste of my time," He droned.

"Listen, TD's calling for help and I'll be darned if we're not gonna go help him!" Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Sounds like you'll be 'darned' then," Chuck arched his brow. Rainbow sighed and changed tactics.

"Fine, Chuck. How about I put it to you like this: an old enemy of TD's is coming to Equestria and he's asking for you to come to Canterlot and talk about it with him. If you don't help, then once this guy is done with TD, he will destroy both everypony and everything you love! From your closest friends down to your youngest child." She crossed her hooves and made-believe she was about to leave. "But if you're just going to sit back and watch..."

"Now that I understand the severity of the situation, I will- albeit, reluctantly- come to aid," he nodded.

"You'd better," Rainbow remarked with a nod. "Now, head on up to Canterlot! I gotta find the rest of the gang and warn them! See you in ten!"

And with that, she was gone in a wink.

"Can you fly that fast?" a random drone asked Pinkie Pie.

"I dunno," Pinkie admitted. "I've always found myself to be more of a runner than a flyer."

"And I've always found myself as more of an observer than a participant." her husband griped.

"Should the general accompany you? Or someone of Royal status?" the drone inquired. "It sounds like something to do with war."

"Yeah, some generals at least," Chuck nodded. "Someone else to die before this probably kills me, y'know?"

"Oh stop," Pinkie replied.

The drone sighed and called out, "Anthropod! You're needed."

In a few short moments, the Changeling in question had arrived, donning a suit of Changeling armor that was a dark shade of red; Pinkie Pie would've made it pink, but had been reassured that pink was not too good a color for a battle.

"What am I being called for, Buggy?" he asked the drone. "Is it important?"

"Important enough that I don't get my afternoon siesta." His king answered. "This is gonna be a long day."

Anthropod nodded. "Well then, I guess we should get going. The sooner we leave, the sooner it's over and done. Where are we headed?"

"Canterlot," Pinkie explained. "They need our assistance."

"Then let's not waste time, shall we?" the general remarked as he started buzzing off.

"Too late, in my books we already are," Chuck griped.

"Oh hush!" Pinkie told him as the two followed.

* * *

In the basement of the Golden Oaks Library, Nightblade Sparkle had finally managed to prefect several upgrades to his gear that was stowed away in case of an emergency. Among others, he had just finished with his armor and looked at the details of the armors on his Laptop.

 _Siren Song W {Creates Soundwaves and Shockwaves; also controls water and ice}_

 _Python X {Shapeshift into any creature/species/etc. and can phase through walls}_

 _Bahamut Y {Changes Elements when the names of the Elements are spoken, flight, and Super Strength}_

 _Aura Storm Z 2.0 {Upgraded version of the older armor, with new abilities, weapons, and transformations: Gaia Shield, Omega Scythes, Dominus Empyreus Transormation, Solar Blade, Apollo Shield, Dark Gaia Mode, Tactical AI Mode}._

Nightblade closed up his Laptop and exited the basement just as someone entered the library.

"Nightblade! Honey, are ya in here?" Applejack's voice called out as she entered the main room. She was looking a bit worried and her stomach was a bit swollen, for she had been marked positive for pregnancy barely nine months ago. It had been barely two ago when the two of them had finally decided to take the next big step and Nightblade had asked the big question with the ring to match. Applejack had happily said yes, and they had been married quite happily so far. Now, they were expecting a baby girl in the next couple of weeks or so.

"I'm here AJ," Blade said as he walked over to his wife with a questioning expression. Applejack gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Relax, Ah know that look. The baby's not comin' yet," she told him, then got serious. "William's callin' us up to Canterlot. Something about a terrible enemy of his that he needs our help to defeat."

Blade thought about this for a second, and then he nodded.

"Alright dear," he said.

"Come on then," she replied and started trotting out the door. "Let's not keep him waitin' on us." She stopped at the door for a moment and chuckled while looking to her stomach. "Feels like somepony's impatient to see everypony else."

Blade smiled and they left The Golden Oaks Library and headed for Canterlot, making sure to lock up the Library and put up the "closed" sign before they left.

* * *

Far from Ponyville, Cobra sat in the cave that he and his mate Lantana shared. The SandWing was running a stone along his axe's blade, sharpening it.

"Must you do that?" Lantana asked as she walked up to him. "The probability of you ever needing that again is one in a billion."

"Never hurts to be ready," Cobra grunted.

As he was speaking, they heard a soft yet melodious voice in the distance, singing a kind of song. After a few moments, a strange figure landed at the entrance of their cave. It was a light pink earth pony mare with eyes as blue as the sea. Instead of a mane, she a set of purple hedgehog spines, and she had a fish tail instead of a pony tail. Her Cutie Mark was a disco ball surrounded by musical notes, and despite her hybrid appearance she was strikingly beautiful; almost beautiful enough to give the most beautiful ponies in Equestria a run for their bits. It was she who had been singing.

"Are you Cobra and Lantana?" the mare asked, her voice sounding sweet and soothing on one's ears. Cobra stood, nodding as he swung his double-headed axe around and attached it to its harness on his back.

"We are," He said as Lantana came up beside him and rested her talon on his shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

The hybrid pony gave them a smile.

"My name's Serena Dusk Dazzling, daughter of Sonata Dusk Dazzling and Red the Hedgehog," she said. "My father has told me much about you." Her smile then faded. "I'm here to request your presence in Canterlot. My uncle TD calls for your aid, and it's on an urgent matter."

Cobra glanced at Lantana, and the RainWing smiled as color started to ripple across her scales.

"Well then, it looks like I was right to keep my blade sharp all these years," The SandWing said as he pulled his axe off, holding it above his head. "My blades shall always be ready to answer a call for help."

"As well as my venom and camouflage scales," Lantana added with a chuckle. Serena smiled again.

"Good. I'd suggest you head in that direction now," she stated. "I'm headed back that way myself."

Cobra nodded, before he and Lantana headed out of their cave, taking to the sky and flying towards Canterlot as fast as they could. Serena followed them, a gem on her chest glowing as she floated through the air as if she was swimming through water.

"So, you met my dad during The Crossover?" Serena asked them as they flew through the sky. "That must've been pretty cool. Meeting him, not the war."

"Yeah, we both met Red," Cobra answered, smiling at her as he flew. "He ever tell you anything about us? Because I'm not going to lie, that would be pretty aweso...OW!"

Lantana smirked from where she was flying, somehow having managed to whack her mate over the head with her tail even though they were still flying. Serena giggled.

"He never told me you two acted similarly to how he and Mom act. But yeah, he did mention you two. Said you were both some of the most impressive dragons he's ever met."

Cobra grinned as he clenched his talon, before glancing around.

"Well, I am pretty impressive, and I've been able to use my magic more often since I protected my soul," he said, before adding, "Staff, fly to my talon."

There was a whistling sound, before a hardwood staff slammed into his talon, having seconds ago been leaning against the wall of their cave. Serena's eyes couldn't seem to get any wider with excitement.

"Wow! That. Is. AWESOME!" she squealed. "That's the coolest thing since Cindy's last suit!"

"Animus magic. Can do anything shy from bringing back the dead," Cobra explained.

"I don't have magic, but I can do this," Lantana said, as her scales shimmered before she disappeared into the sky. A few seconds later, something tapped Serena's shoulder. Serena looked to where Lantana would be if she could see her.

"I wish I had Dad's ability to see things that are invisible, because that is freaking awesome!" she exclaimed. Just then, they noticed Canterlot below them. Lantana smiled as her scales shimmered back to a golden yellow color, almost matching Cobra's.

"Trust me, she has a secret weapon that you may or may not find out about later," Cobra said, before he and his mate dove downwards. Serena nodded.

"Let's hope it's enough," she commented, then she too dove down with them.

* * *

Tempus stood alongside Starlight on one of the balconies of Canterlot castle. In the room behind them, he knew that Michael and his darker side were having a heated discussion about which was a better magic type, chaotic or elemental.

"It's been a while since we heard from TD," Starlight said, and the brown alicorn nodded.

"Indeed it has, honey. Indeed it has." he agreed solemnly, looking at the sky almost expectantly.

Just then, they heard a burst of confetti from the room and a familiar female's voice say, "Okay, you want to know which is better? Chaos is best for altering things, Elemental is best for combat. End of discussion. Now where's Tempus? The other side of him?"

Tempus rolled his eyes, before he and Starlight entered the room.

"Hello Screwball," Tempus said with a smirk. The daughter of the Spirit of Chaos turned to Tempus, and gave him and Starlight a quick nod. Her face did not look as cheerful as she usually was.

"Sorry to break up the festivities, but we have a problem," she explained, then added the last part with a twinge of fear. "He's coming, Tempus. Uncle William is asking for your help."

Tempus froze, before nodding once briskly.

"Michael, we're leaving," The Guardian of Time said as his darker side dissolved into a black mist and flew into him. The brown alicorn shuddered, his fur darkening slightly, before opening his eyes, which were now glowing red cat eyes that were tinged with green. "We have a friend to help."

Michael nodded, standing up and flicking his wings back. Tempus turned to his wife.

"Alert my sisters, Twilight, Flurry, and Task force Omega," he told her. "We may need you all before things are over."

Starlight nodded, before turning and running out onto the balcony, spreading her wings and taking off.

Tempus turned to Sscrewball. "We're ready," The alicorn prince said. "Let's go."

Screwball nodded, then in a bright light and a burst of confetti they disappeared, reappearing in the throne room of TD's Canterlot. Sunshine was sitting on the throne and when she noticed them, she gave them a nod.

"They're waiting for you in the meeting hall," she explained.

"Follow me, I'll bring you there," Screwball ordered, then took off at a brisk trot through the halls. Tempus hurried after her, Michael flying along above them to keep up.

"So, how bad is it Screwball?" The Guardian of Time asked gravely.

"Pretty bad," she replied. "Uncle Red and Dr. Hooves both report a fleet of more than two hundred battle ships heading this way, all of them prepped for war."

"Buck..." Tempus muttered, and Michael growled.

"I shall fight no matter the odds. I swear this on my honor as a Pyrunian," the Pyrunian said solemnly.

"Save the speech for later, boys," Screwball remarked, finally stopping at a door that seemed out of place in the colorful halls of Canterlot's palace. It was like a negative color scheme of the original color scheme.

"We're here..." she said, and then pushed the doors open.

* * *

"Wake up my little colt," Bubble said to her son as she nudged him softly. "It's sunrise."

But this foal wasn't her son Bold Heart. The foal in front of her had a blue coat and orange mane with a few red stripes. It was Bold and Sunny's younger brother and the second son of Joy Star. His name was Aqua Blaze.

"Alright mom," he yawned. "I'm waking up."

"Blazy!" Sunny called to him by his nickname. "You'll miss watching grandma raising the sun, again."

"Ah, fine!" He finally got up and yawned. "I'm waking up!"

The foal woke up and along with his elder sister and mother, he headed towards the balcony where his grandmother Celestia, along with his father and elder brother, Bold, were waiting for him.

"Glad you could make it Blazy," Bold giggled Aqua smiled sheepishly and sat down along with them. Joy nuzzled his colt's mane. Celestia giggled to see this, as her horn started to glow and sun started to appear from the horizon.

"Okay, ready?" she asked. The children nodded, and seemed really amused to see her raising the sun.

"Wow, that looks awesome..." Aqua said.

"Isn't it?" Joy replied. "I remember how amazed I was to see this when I was your age."

Bubble smiled. "That was the thing your father never missed, watching her raise the sun."

And so a new dawn had officially arrived in Equestria. As they watched the sun rise, they suddenly heard a familiar voice call up to them.

"Joy! Bubble! Down here!"

Looking down from the balcony, they saw a familiar red fox floating up to their position, beaming a big smile on his face as he leveled himself with the balcony and slowly settled down with them as well.

"Hey Bill," Joy greeted. "It's good to see you..."

Sunny and Bold recognized him as well.

"Good to see you uncle Bill!" They both grabbed him in a group hug.

"It's been so long, you know..." Sunny said.

"You wouldn't believe what we saw a few years ago!" Bold exclaimed. "It was..."

"I know," Bill chuckled. "TD told me about Dark Joy." He then noticed Aqua Blaze. "Hi there. Name's Bill. I'm a friend of your parents."

"Quick deduction..." Joy said in surprise.

"Yeah, that's our new little foal," Bubble agreed as she nuzzled his mane. "Aren't you, my little Blazy?"

"And my actual name is Aqua Blaze," Aqua stated with a sheepish smile. "May I ask where are you from?"

"I am from a world called Mobius," Bill answered, then looked to Joy and Bubble. "As nice as it is to see you all again, I'm afraid my visit is more business than anything." He gave them a grave expression. "The Nameless One is back, and TD is calling for aid. I'm sorry to break up your lovely moment, but..."

Bubble and Celestia gasped with horror at this, while the foals weren't too aware of what they were talking about, except Sunny who somewhat remembered that day. Joy took a sigh and looked down for a moment. Then he looked towards Celestia.

"Mom, I have to go there," Joy said.

"I know," Celestia answered gravely, then her eyes filled with some tears. "Just... promise me you'll be safe."

Bubble gave Joy a look which was filled with some sadness.

"I promise..." Joy said, and hugged his mother. "I promise that I'll be safe..."

After some moments he released her from hug. He then looked towards Bubble and his foals.

"Wish me luck my sweetheart, and my dear foals." He grabbed all of them in a hug.

"What happened dad?" Aqua asked. "Where are you going?"

"Dad is going to his friend's world..." Sunny explained. "...to help him.."

Joy released them from the hug and looked towards Bubble. "Please take care of them, until I come back."

"What do you mean?" Bubble demanded. "I'll be going with you..."

"I don't think it'll be safe..." Joy said. "That's why I'll going alone..."

Bubble wanted to protest, but then she felt the gentle hoof of her mother-in-law on her shoulder.

"It's okay..." she said. Bubble was silent for a moment, then hugged Joy once again.

"Don't you dare to do something crazy!" she spoke sadly and then released while giving him a quick kiss, causing their bodies glow for a moment. "Please be okay."

"I hope so..." Joy said "I'll be safe..."

Then she released him and Joy turned to Bill. "I'm ready..."

Bill nodded, then looked to his friends.

"We'll be back," he reassured, then Bubble and Celestia heard him speak to them telepathically.

'Don't stay here for too long; he doesn't realize it, but you may not be as safe here as he believes.'

Then Bill's body turned a bright white color, his body made up of light as he snapped his fingers and they both disappeared, reappearing in the throne room of Canterlot in TD's Equestria. Upon seeing them, Sunshine looked to Joy with a curious expression.

"Uncle Bill! And... is that Uncle Joy?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Joy..." Joy said to the changeling filly and gave her his own curious look.

Bill chuckled. "Joy, say hello to Sunshine, Celestia's daughter."

"Oh, so you're Sunshine..." Joy smiled. "It's so nice to see you... let me introduce myself a little briefly then... Prince Joy Star of Canterlot... or at least my Canterlot..." he said sheepishly.

"Mom told me about you," Sunshine remarked, then gave him a big hug. "It's nice to meet you face-to-face."

Joy smiled, returning the hug. "It's nice to meet you too, I guess..."

"Sunshine, the others?" Bill reminded her.

"Oh, sorry!" she sheepishly got off of Joy. "It's in the meeting hall."

"Thanks. Joy, follow me please," Bill said and walked down the halls towards the meeting.

"Oh, right..." Joy said as he followed behind him. Bill ended up leading him past the stain-glass windows that depicted the most memorable events in Equestria's history on them, until he came to a dark door within the halls. He opened the doors and Joy heard TD's voice call to him.

"Come, sit my friends!" he called. "We're about to begin..."

Joy took a deep breath and went inside.

 _Whatever this is... I'm ready to face it..._ Joy thought as he entered the room.

* * *

*I don't know why I formatted it that way. Apologies for anyone who gives me a scolding for it.

 **And there ya go! The first chapter of the Finale has begun.**

 **Big thanks to all who participated in this chapter with their OC's and respective scenes: _Admirer Boy_ for Joy Star and his family, _Darkstalker728_ for Cobra and Lantana, _Nightblade Sparkle_ for... Nightblade Sparkle, _and Impressionsguy_ for Chuck! Without you guys, this wouldn't be possible!**

 **Stay tuned for chapter two!**


	2. Planning

**So, I figured I should warn you about how this finale is gonna work.**

 **First off, this is being done by five authors (including myself) at once, over a discord server to make this possible. Secondly, we all live in different time zones, so this will be at a very slow pace. But I'm not gonna quit so easily. You'll just have to be patient is all. Third, Nightblade Sparkle (for whatever reason) keeps changing his profile name, so the credit that's given to him may sound odd.**

 **Other than that, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm so glad you all could make it here today," TD remarked to the group of friends before him. They were inside his personal meeting room, which he had made bigger on the inside with his magic to hold the large number of creatures, especially Cobra and Lantana.

"You'd better be. And this had better be good," Chuck remarked, earning a nudge from Pinkie.

"Be nice," she scolded.

"I believe that I told you we would always be there for you TD," Tempus said, smiling slightly as Michael landed beside him.

"Well, glad to be here... I guess," Joy remarked and looked around towards all the new faces. "And, nice to meet all of you..."

A slight sheepish smile came upon his face.

"So, what's happening?" Rainbow asked. TD sighed.

"My oldest enemy, the Nameless One, has returned," he remarked. "And our good friends, Evan and Dr. Hooves, have reported that his fleet is on its way here to Equestria."

He gestured to the figures in question as he spoke.

"How many do we face?" Michael asked, the Pyrunian's wings flaring slightly.

"Yes, that always is helpful to know," Tempus said in a quiet voice.

"Possibly... two hundred," Twilight replied. "And from William's told me, each one is armed for war." "That is grave news indeed," Luna remarked, her expression very grave.

"Of all you here, only one other besides myself has faced him down personally," TD motioned to Joy. "Prince Joy Star, you were there with when he attacked your world. What can you tell our friends?"

"Hmm... The Nameless One is the most powerful, and ruthless enemy our Equestria ever faced," Joy explained. "That scrappy junk was not only after me, but he tried to hurt my family many times. If there's anyone I really hate in my life, that'd be him. And also many of his soldiers are immune to magic or can use powerful forms of dark magic themselves."

"Oh. Great. That's just great," Chuck remarked grimly.

"Well, that does make our task slightly more difficult..." Cobra grumbled, only to yelp as Lantana whacked him over the head with her tail.

"Be nice!" She snapped.

Tempus rolled his eyes, before getting serious again. "And how long until they arrive?"

"Not too long, if what I know is right," Evan stated. "And trust me, almost everything I know is right."

"In fact, according to the calculations of my friend here..." TD gestured to Red, who stepped out into the open and finished for him.

"Starting about now," Red commented, "we have approximately three days, six hours, thirteen minutes and twenty seconds... nineteen seconds... eighteen seconds, seventeen..."

"I think we get the picture," Fluttershy cut him off.

"Well, we'd best get preparing then," Michael said, and Tempus nodded.

"TD, if my wife has alerted them by now, Task force Omega will be standing by for whenever they are needed," The brown alicorn added. "They'll come if needed or called. My family will also fight by your side; you're not just a friend of mine, but my entire family."

"You can count on my support too," Nightblade called out.

"And as an old friend, I'll be right by your side til my last breath..." Joy spoke with spirit. "But let's just hope that it doesn't come to that."

"We'll help too," T-bone remarked. "If he's threatening one of you, he's threatening all of us."

TD smirked and looked over to Chuck.

"Chuck? Don't leave us hanging man," he stated.

"Fine," Chuck sighed. "I didn't want to die old anyway."

Tempus raised an eyebrow, before smirking.

"Who does ever want to die old?" The alicorn asked wryly. "Much better to go out fighting for what's right than just watching as your body slowly ages to the point where-"

"Tempus," Michael said flatly. "Shut. Up."

Tempus blinked, before snorting and shutting his mouth.

"Excuse me, " Evan spoke up. "One thing I should mention is that, he's not coming here alone."

"What do you mean?" Nightblade asked. "He's got more than just the fleet?"

TD's eyes widened. "No... please tell me that he didn't..." he pleaded.

"Tragically, yes," Evan stated grimly. "He tricked me into knowing The Beast's location."

"Buck," Tempus grumbled flatly.

"Well, then I guess we'll need all the help we can get," Michael said, cracking his knuckles. "Haven't had a good fight since the war on our planet. You got that sword for me TD?"

"Still in the vault," TD remarked. "I kept it particularly sharp for the occasion." He then sighed. "But it's not so much the battle that concerns me as the economy of Equestria."

"He means, he fears he'll have to put Equestria into a war-driven economy," Bill Prower explained, coming from one corner.

"But didn't Aunt Twilight see a future where that happened when Starlight changed the past?" Screwball asked.

"I did," Twilight agreed. "And it didn't look too good."

Tempus sighed, before he raised his hoof. "My Equestria can do it," He said softly. "We've got plenty of factories that have been closed for a while. Plus I have a friend who's an amazing weapons designer."

"And I've got plenty of manufacturing plants down in Mobius," Red added. "Provided that you can keep a gateway between our worlds open, we can provide all the firepower you need."

Celestia chose to speak up then. "We'll do it too. As much as I hate to try it... if it'll save Equestria, then we'll do it."

Michael frowned, before he spoke up. "I may be able to obtain some old Pyrunian guns and ammunition if I can track down a warehouse on Earth... I can't promise anything, but if I do find some, they'll be useful. One of our guns can destroy a small mountain with a couple shots."

Tempus glanced at the Pyrunian, before shrugging.

"I'm not surprised by what Pyrunians used to be like before their race was almost entirely wiped out anymore," he said.

"I wish I had my book right now," Evan sighed. "In my time of need..." he grunted. "Buck that Nameless Scrap."

"Do we know where he'll show up at?" T-bone asked.

"Sadly, no," TD admitted. "So we'll have to get some scouts out to every corner of Equis and establish a communications system."

"Then that's where I come in again," Bill remarked, pulling out some coms that were familiar to some of the figures in the room. "Miles and I have saved these since The Crossover and improved upon their design. Will they suffice?"

"That'll do it," Applejack told him. "And if y'all are lookin' for some firepower, Nightblade's been working on some projects of his own. Ah'd say now's a good time to use them."

"But what about you darling?" Rarity inquired. "You've got an unborn foal to think of!"

Tempus blinked, before putting his hoof to his ear as if listening to something, before grunting

"TD, Task force Omega is requesting to travel here to take place in planning our defenses," the alicorn said, lowering his hoof. "Should I allow them to or not?"

"Let them through," TD answered. "We need all the help we can get. And as to the problem Rarity pointed out..." He sighed and let Celestia finish for him.

"I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice but to let her help, and she won't take no for an answer," the white alicorn remarked. "Although, I'd ask for you to keep an eye on her Nightblade, just in case."

Nightblade nodded and placed a wing over AJ's shoulder. "I understand."

"Trust me, I understand how you feel mate," Evan said to Nightblade.

Tempus nodded, before putting a hoof to his ear and saying, "Task force Omega, permission granted. You're cleared to come through."

There was a second's pause, before a portal suddenly crackled into existence behind Tempus, and a white unicorn with a blue main and tail who had a silver double-bladed axe across her back stepped through, followed by three alicorns and a bipedal metal suit of armor that was black-and-silver.

"Chris, remove the helmet," Tempus ordered, and a few seconds later the entire front of the armor opened up, and a human with scruffy black hair stepped out, brushing off his jacket.

"You're no fun Tempus," Chris grumbled.

"Hey, if you guys need more troops, we've got plenty of Changelings to spare!" Pinkie piped up. "We can also ask favors from the other hives."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy... for most," Anthropod added.

"So, now we're strategically prepared for the upcoming battle?" Joy asked. "I mean, whenever that comes around?"

"I'd say we have a better chance," Michael said as one of the alicorns stepped up beside him, her cyan cat eyes scanning those assembled. "Task force Omega is a good team, and then there's the probability of reinforcements coming from Tempus's and mine Equestria from the Canterlot Royal Guard and the Crystal Guard."

 **"Princess Flurry Heart may not be able to provide reinforcements."** Tempus's dark side said in a dark, yet caring voice. **"She is still trying to rebuild the Crystal Empire after the war with Herobrine and ClearSHC. She will probably be unable to provide support."**

"Well, yours might not, but ours can," Bill noted. "I hear she's going to be the next Princess of Love."

"Why's that?" Fluttershy asked.

"Because Cadence chose to remain mortal with Shinning Armor for... obvious reasons," Bill replied.

"Well, I can respect her choice," Tempus said, before lowering his head and letting out a muffled sniff. "My Cadence didn't even get a choice..."

"We shall all remember her and her husband, Tempus," Nightmare Moon replied as she walked up to the alicorn prince, who nodded before raising his head, a single tear visible running down his face.

"Well, for now, I say that we start thinking about upgrading ourselves," T-bone spoke up. "My armor's tough, but I think it's also outdated by now."

Red gave him a smirk. "Well, lucky you, I've got plenty of ways to fix that problem."

"Good thing we've got Red here," Joy said.

"Oh, Red's not the only one we'll have helping, and neither is Bill," TD said with a smirk.

"I can help too." Chris said, as his armor walked up to him. "I'm good at technology and weaponry."

"He meant among his rouge personalities," Twilight pointed out.

 **"I don't know how much assistance I can be of, but I shall help where I can,"** Tempus's dark personality said, as Tempus smiled slightly at Twilight.

"He doesn't really know TD that well Twilight. He'll learn as time goes by," the alicorn explained.

Twiilight smirked. "Then I guess it's time he introduced himself."

"T-bone, Crystal, Cobra and Lantana, I believe this figure may be familiar to you," TD said with a smirk. "Say hello to my rouge evil personality, Diego Kapila."

He stepped aside to reveal another human with two mechanical gauntlets on his arms; one was a greyish-red, the other a bright yellow. He gave them a smile.

"Good to see you again, old friends," the rogue remarked.

"Nice to see you too Diego," Joy said with a smile. Tempus's Crystal opened her mouth to speak, before she closed it again, shrugging.

"You know what, buck it. I've just got to get used to the fact that there's another me," the white unicorn said, and Tempus smirked.

"You really do," the alicorn agreed, before stepping towards Diego, holding out a hoof. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Tempus."

"Diego Kapilia of Remnant," Diego answered shaking his hoof. "A pleasure." He looked up to the Sandwing and Rainwing nearby and chuckled. "I see you two haven't changed much since we last saw each other. However, for whatever reason, I almost thought you'd be taller."

Cobra grunted. "We stop growing rapidly at twenty years of age," the SandWing explained. "After that, we don't grow as fast."

"Well, regardless, it's good to see you again," Diego answered, then turned to Joy. "How's the family, Joy? I hear you were blessed with another treasure in your life?"

Joy nodded. "Yes, my second son, and third child... Aqua Blaze."

"I'd like to see him when it's quieter, but for now what's the plan?" he asked. Bill took the lead.

"We set up watch on every corner of Equestria, train up and recruit all the warriors we can, and then prepare for all Hell to be set loose upon us," he announced.

"And for those that don't know, Hell is the equivalent for Tartarus," Red explained.

"I know that," Tempus, Michael, Tempus's dark personality, and Chris all said at the same time.

"Cool. Hell. My Grandma always told me that's where I'd go. Good thing it's coming to me," Chuck remarked bitterly, finally breaking the silent streak he had been doing for a while.

"Well Chuck, it's either you help and Hell comes upon you, or it comes upon you and you die in a very pitiful way," TD stated bluntly. "Personally, if I'm going down it's with a fight."

"I guess I'll die in a... badbutt way," he said, changing that word practically killed him inside, or at least made him feel sick.

"Agreed." Joy remarked.

"I'll go out helping my friends," Michael said.

 **"As shall I,"** Tempus's dark side agreed.

"You know Chuck, that was one of the few words I actually wasn't censoring," TD remarked. "As long as it's not me saying it."

"Verbal oppression is so hard to understand the parameters of," Chuck sighed.

"Badbutt," Evan let out a muffled chuckle at this before he looked around and ceased chuckling. "Sorry, I can't let the image get out of my head."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "Let's do this already!"

"She's not wrong, we should get a move on," Red agreed.

"Then I say that since we all know the basic jest, this meeting is officially adjourned," TD announced. "Everyone knows their jobs, or should know them. So let's get to it! Feel free to stay or leave to perform other duties as you please."

Tempus glanced at his dark personality, who nodded.

 **"I'll inform Celestia and Luna,"** He said, before vanishing in a flash of light.

"I wish I could see the possible outcomes of this..." Tempus stated with a sigh. "But I can't. And it's driving me mad being blind to the future."

"Knowing everything hurts as much as knowing nothing," Evan said to Tempus. "Trust me, I know this by experience."

Tempus gave Evan a wry look.

"Bud, you're talking to the Guardian of Time," Tempus said. "I can see every past, present, and future. Except for this."

"But that's not your fault," TD explained as the majority started to leave the room. "The Nameless One has many methods of remaining unseen and this is one of those moments in time when nothing is certain."

"And do you think I don't know about your guardian powers?" Evan passed him a smirk. "Anyways, I need to get to my wife." Evan moved from his place and disappeared.

"See you soon," A voice was heard as he vanished.

"Let's go Pinkie," Chuck got up. "I'd like to take one last nap before this inevitably kills me."

"We'll be fine," Pinkie reassured him as they left. Her husband didn't reply verbally, opting to use a quick snort of laughter in response instead.

Tempus sighed, before there was a flash of light beside him and his dark personality reappeared, holding a crate in his magic.

 **"So, I told our Celestia and Luna."** He said, before ginning as he held up the crate. **"And I managed to snag some of Chris's strong stuff from his bar to bring here for whenever we want a drink."**

Tempus rolled his eyes, before snorting in annoyance.

"TD, can I have the Sword of Death now?" Michael asked the chaotic entity.

"Certainly," TD answered while looking at a map of Equis with Twilight. "Diego can take you to the vault, and it's been set to allow you access."

"Follow me please," Diego said as he led Tempus out of the room. As they left, he heard Twilight and TD speaking to each other.

"William, do you think you can beat him again?"

"I'm not sure, Twi..." His voice sounded tearful. "I don't know what's gonna happen..."

"I guess, I will leaving too," Joy said. "I need some time to myself."

Joy stood up and left the room as well.

"Poor TD," Diego remarked as he walked towards where the vault was located. "Sadly, that's how all three of us rouge personalities feel about our own families too."

Tempus sighed as he walked alongside Diego, Michael walking behind the alicorn.

"I feel the same way towards my family as well," the alicorn said. "But I said I'd fight beside TD till the end."

"And for that, I'm grateful," Diego replied with a nod. By then, they had reached the vault and Diego stepped forward. His hands glowed a sickly red and the doors opened for him. Inside, he noticed the many different weapons and other artifacts TD had gathered over time. Among others was a Ring that had a glowing amber stone set inside for the jewel. The glow seemed to be an evil one. Diego picked it up and then looked to Tempus.

"Don't tell TD I took this," he pleaded. "It's the ring his Nazgul used to wear before he was liberated from Sauron's grasp only to be dominated by TD. I feel that it may come in handy... if I can alter it a bit."

Tempus nodded, before he stepped aside as Michael stepped forward and grasped the handle of the Sword of Death. The Pyrunian pulled it from the vault, removing it from its sheath and grinning as an icy blue shimmer worked its way down the blade.

"The blade has accepted me as it's new wielder," Michael said, sheathing it and hanging it by his belt. "Now I feel ready for what lies ahead."

"Let's hope so," Diego remarked, then looked to his Ring. "Now, I must alter this as best I can. You see, this Ring, like all eight of it's siblings, were designed to subjugate their wearers. I guess you could say, you wouldn't possess the Ring; the Ring would possess you." He held it up. "I plan to fix that, so that one of our allies may be able to use it for themselves. But to do so... I need to have the Ring on my finger when I begin the process."

"Isn't that exactly what you don't want to do?" Tempus asked, nervously eyeing the ring.

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Diego admitted. "But I know a way around it."

"Care to elaborate?" Tempus asked as his dark personality suddenly appeared beside him. "Because if you don't, I'll probably freak out."

"There's a spell I can cast that will undo Sauron's intentions with the Ring," Diego explained. "And I'll be honest, I had to make plenty of deals with some... undesirables to learn it. Thankfully, they were deals I could walk out on or that I managed to close permanently. I'm not an idiot in that regard." He looked to them. "But if it goes South, I need you to take it from me, by force if necessary."

Tempus nodded, as his dark personality merged with him and his eyes turned to glowing red cat eyes tinged with green. "Understood."

Diego sighed and put on the Ring, chanting as he did so, his voice sounding dark and terrible.

"Unaz ob Orka, Sharbtur ob Sauron, parfutag nar ma orka!" (Ring of Power, servant of Sauron, wrestle no more for power!)

The Ring glowed brightly for a few moments and Diego struggled with something inwardly, then all abruptly stopped. He gasped a few times and looked to his friends.

"It worked..." he managed, almost sounding like he didn't believe it. "Sauron's hold over this is Ring is broken..."

Tempus smiled, which looked slightly disconcerting because of his teeth being slightly jagged now.

"I'm glad it did," he said, before adding. "Because I would hate to have seen you be blasted by an energy rifle which my friend Chris is holding from the hiding spot he totally isn't in around the corner behind us."

There was a yelp of surprise, and Tempus smirked.

"He wouldn't have been able to do much harm anyways," Diego remarked as he took off the Ring. "I've survived things that would normally kill someone, both on Remnant and then some." He held it up. "In truth, I only asked you to be here so I could see just how much of me fell if it didn't. The truth is... TD, and the rest of the rouge personalities, cannot fall to the Ring's power. The reason being that we possess a power far greater; what need do we have of such trinkets?"

Tempus shrugged, as Chris rounded the corner, holding a rifle that had glowing LED's along the sides. Behind him, his armor walked, it's blasters powered up.

"Power down Gideon. It's safe," Chris said, and the blasters stopped glowing as the suit lowered its arms.

Diego chuckled. "Iron Man vs Thanos all over again." He then looked serious. "Friends... you realize this may be our final battle, so thanks for coming. It means a lot to us all. Especially... him."

"We know," Tempus said, smiling. "And we're all willing to make the sacrifice of our life if it means victory."

"You may be, but I'd rather live than get chewed up by Sunset for dying on a totally different planet then her," Michael muttered darkly.

"You two seem to have a history," Diego noted. "Care to enlighten us?"

"She's my..." Michael started, before trailing off and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Michael and Sunset are married," Tempus explained, smiling. "Michael made a new form for himself as a pony, and him and Sunset got married after she followed him back to our Equestria from the mirror world."

"Hold up, which mirror world?" Diego asked. "Because unless I'm mistaken, every time we use the mirror here, we're technically traveling to a pocket dimension on TD's homeplanet."

"Tempus has a weird name for it," Michael muttered in explanation.

"So that's a no?" Diego clarified.

"He's talking about the same world, just using his name for it," Michael said.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Diego laughed. "That is such a killer! Hahaha!"

Tempus raised an eyebrow, before a random giant wooden mallet materialized out of nowhere and slammed into Diego.

"Don't. Laugh. At what I saw," the alicorn said as the mallet disappeared.

"You're that scared of her, aren't ya?" Diego asked as he stood up, not even looking a little hurt. "Fine. I'm just... surprised of how ironically convenient it is. I meant no disrespect."

"Michael is of her. I'm not," Tempus said.

"Figures," Diego shrugged. "Isn't that how we all feel about our significant others?" A beep was heard from one of his gauntlets, and he chuckled. "We need to get going. I have a stop to make and some friends to reunite, as well as bring in the cavalry. See you guys soon!"

A sickly red portal appeared behind Diego and he walked through it, disappearing back through to his own world.

Tempus sighed, before he led himself, Michael, and Chris back to the room they had come from. The alicorn pushed the door open, walking inside.

* * *

 **-Flashback-**

 _"How do you know my name?!" the boy demanded with surprise, staring at the strange figure before him. The figure made a groan._

 _"I cannot explain it all, so I'll tell you what you need to know," he answered. "I am a Guardian of Existence, and my hour has come. My life fades and I must find a successor to take my place. You were chosen for this task and the part to play in it all. So I come to grant to you a power of your choosing to use against your enemies and to protect others."_

 _William was taken aback. Guardian of Existence? Successor? Powers? Where was this going and why was he so important to it? The figure managed a weak chuckle._

 _"All your questions will be answered once you choose your power," he explained. "There are several to choose from: Water, Fire, Time, Order, Chaos, Life, De-"_

 _"Whoa, whoa whoa! What was that one you said?" William asked with curiosity._

 _"Life?"_

 _"No, before that. Did you say 'chaos?' How's that one work?"_

 _The figure sighed. "The powers of Chaos allow one to break the laws of reality, space, and time, and alter things to his will. It also allows him to create destruction and devastation or turn something into something it should not be. To put it simply, the power to do whatever you want, whenever you want."_

 _If the creature was still explaining something about those powers, William didn't pay much to it. He was lost as soon as he heard about doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted._

 _"I want the powers of Chaos!" he exclaimed._

 _"Be careful, young one," the figure breathed with difficulty. "Those powers are addictive and it's hard to not succumb to what it offers you. This, coupled with the fact that these powers are beyond your comprehension, makes it a difficult one to master. Are you sure you want to proceed?"_

 _"Yes, come on!" William shouted impatiently. The figure sighed._

 _"Then you've been warned..."_

 _Unexpectedly, William suddenly felt a huge surge of power entering his body, too much for him to register. It was... unfathomable. The closest he had ever gotten to knowing about such power was from his religion, and it was incredible... yet terrifying. It was too much!_

 ** _"One mind cannot fathom such power,"_** _a voice suddenly spoke inside his head. **"Let your mind be split, and the power will be balanced."**_

 _William didn't hesitate, and soon he felt as if his mind had been torn in two, each half reflecting a different side of him. But it wasn't enough! the power kept coming and coming!_

 ** _"It's worse than I thought!"_** _the voice remarked. **"He's not prepared for this!"**_

 _ **"Split it again!"** a second voice shouted. **"We don't have a choice!"**_

 _ **"But never has this been tried before!"** the first protested._

 _ **"You want him to die?!"** the second demanded. The voices went silent and William felt his mind split again, this time feeling as if this next one was a bit smaller than the other portions but still just as powerful. Still the power crawled into his bones. After what seemed to be an eternity, William felt the power abruptly stop and he gasped as he looked to where the figure was sitting, only to realize that he was nowhere present. It was as if he had never been there in the first place. William looked about, still feeling weird in his head from what had happened._

 _"Sean is not gonna believe this," he said aloud, and then headed back for his home, still feeling weird inside..._

* * *

 **-Present day-**

TD sat up in bed, having woke from the dream he had just received. The time when he had first been given his powers. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I should've said no, or gone with a different power then," he said to himself quietly, so as not to disturb Twilight's sleeping form beside him. "I should've walked away or had it explained to me in full what I was getting into. Instead, I chose to recklessly and foolishly charge headlong into a situation I knew nothing about and fell prey to the temptations my power offers."

Twilight breathed loudly next to him, causing TD to look over at her. There was just enough light in the room for him to barely see her form. He smiled and pulled her close, hearing her sigh in bliss even while sleeping. As if on instinct, her wings wrapped around him as well as her front hooves. TD embraced her too, stroking her mane softly and gently.

"But in the end, after all the pain and suffering, I'm glad it did happen," he whispered. "Because if it didn't happen, I wouldn't have found you..."

He looked out to a window installed in their room that peered out at the moon outside. It wasn't a full moon, but it still looked beautiful as always, thanks to Luna's efforts.

"I won't let him take you from me," TD vowed. "Even if Zecora's prophecy says I'm to fail without Sean's help."

He looked down at Twilight and leaned his head against her own as a final thought came to mind.

"But no matter what happens... I will always love you, my little North Star."

Still not feeling too sleepy yet, he softly began to sing a song to her.

 **TD:** _Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around.  
_ _Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around._

 _Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays  
_ _I'll send 'em howling  
_ _I don't care, I got ways._

 _No one's gonna hurt you,_ _No one's gonna dare.  
_ _Others can desert you,  
_ _Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there._

 _Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,  
_ _But in time...  
_ _Nothing can harm you  
_ _Not while I'm around..._

TD dozed off on the last notes, still holding Twilight close to him like a precious treasure as the night crawled onward.

* * *

 **And there we go! Chapter two out of the way!**

 **So, why did Chuck and Nightblade not talk much during that time? Well... _Nightblade Sparkle (_ who recently changed his profile name to _Nightsoul_** _ **Distortion)**_ **wasn't available and for a while neither was _Impressionsguy._ Nightblade I was allowed to control personally in such situations, but I personally didn't want to handle Chuck. Plus, Chuck's not much for politics anyways, so no harm done.**

 **Song used: "Not While I'm Around" from _Sweeney Todd._**

 **Anyways, thank you all for helping out today! Cya in the next chapter!**


	3. More Planning and Children's Day Out

**So, in this one, mostly _Admirer Boy_ and _Darkstalker728_ are helping me out, but only on some of the more larger parts.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure they'll be here?" a human warrior asked in a whispered tone as he and a total of five other humans and robots crept through the city of Canterlot in search of Bubble Heart and her children. They had been assigned by The Nameless One to find and "silence" the group in an attempt to motivate the prince. Only one was to be left alive, but there was no specification on who to keep alive.

"The master says they're here. Has he scared us wrong yet?" one of the robots answered.

"Contact up ahead," the lead human warned. "Active Camouflage, now."

They pressed buttons on their wrists and they all turned invisible. The only indication of their presence would be if one was to just barely catch the outlines of their forms that gave them away. In the Canterlot palace, some royal guards were watching over the town from the balcony, through telescopes. Soon, one of them barely noticed the suspicious group of humans and robots.

"They're here!" the Guard spoke up. "We must warn the Princess!"

The other guard nodded at this and trotted towards the throne room, where Princess Bubble, and Princess Celestia was sitting.

"Princess!" the Guard yelled. "They're here!"

"Already?" Princess Celestia gasped and looked towards Bubble. "Quick, we need to take Princess Bubble and her foals to safety."

Back outside, the group seemed to realize that the gig was up.

"We're spotted! Go loud!" the lead human shouted, and then they all pulled out some kind of laser guns and started firing at anyone who appeared on the balcony or at the front doors while moving forward, being smart enough to keep their camouflage on so as to give their enemy a hard time hitting them. In this fashion, they quickly managed to get inside the palace. By now, the camouflage had worn off and they looked about.

"Spread out!" a robot ordered. "If you find one of the family members, use the tasers!"

"Keep Princess Bubble in cover! Get to the young ones and protect them!" A royal guard shouted. "Enemy has entered the palace!"

Bubble ran towards the hall along with royal guards guarding her from all around. She was now really scared, not for herself, but for her children. In a moment they reached the halls. When they did, they noticed one of the robots staring them down. An electrical baton appeared in its hand and it rushed at Bubble, easily taking down the guards around her.

"End of the line, Princess!" the bot scoffed, then swung the baton at her.

"You wish!" Bubble challenged violently, and passed a look to her children's room. She had to think fast now, otherwise... No she wouldn't let that happen.

"Take this!" she shouted, firing a shockwave from her horn. The robot was thrown back from the attack and a loud "Squark!" was heard from it as it fell to the ground, defeated and deactivated. Bubble smirked to see this and headed towards her children's room. The door was still locked thankfully, but her rest didn't last long as another soldier appeared and activated something on his arm that beeped with a red light.

"My men will soon arrive and we'll be taking you with us. There's someone who's dying to meet you again, princess," he scoffed.

"Tell him that I'm not going anywhere!" Bubble scolded him in response.

"Come on princess, this may be the last time he gets to see an old friend," the man mockingly pleaded as the rest of his squad arrived. "We insist."

Truthfully, Bubble was now starting to get a little intimidated inside, but she kept herself together as she stood in front of the whole squad.

"YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE ME!" She shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice as her horn started to give a violent glow once again. The men and robots chuckled, then aimed their rifles at Bubble and they began to power up. But right before they fired, a golden beam struck one of them as Princess Celestia rounded one of the corner in the halls.

"Get away from her!" she shouted and prepared for another attack. A robot scowled at her with its eyes and then fired some beams at the white alicorn, who placed up a shield to block them all as the other two fired at Bubble. They barely missed her and instead struck the door behind her. Just when they were about to fire a second time, a howl of some kind was heard and then suddenly a large icy spirit flew into the halls and a beam of ice struck all but one of the fiends. The last one, a robot, realizing he was beaten, pressed a button on his person and started to glow dangerously. Seeing this, the ice spirit, which the Equestrians recognized as a Windago, fired another beam of ice and froze the enemy solid very quickly, stopping only when the glow ceased.

Bubble looked up towards Celestia and a tearful smile came upon her face.

"Thanks mom," She then looked towards Winter. "Thank you too... I hope that'll buy us some time..."

The Windago smiled.

"I'm glad I decided to visit when I did," he remarked. "How are the kids?"

"They're fine..." Bubble smiled. "Thank you for coming here in time..." Then she looked towards Celestia. "We have to get the children to safety..."

Celestia nodded. "Ironic as it sounds... I think they'd be safer in William's Equestria."

"I agree. At least they have more watchful eyes there," Winter nodded.

"I agree too..." Bubble sighed. She turned to the the children's room and opened the door. The three of them were gathered in a corner, her sons hugging close to their elder sister, while they were shivering in fear. Sunny's eyes were also closed.

"Don't worry little brothers..." She said. "Mommy will be alright..."

"I am, my dear filly..."

As they heard their mother's voice, they opened their eyes and trotted towards her, and hugged her sobbingly. Then Sunny whined, "Mom, we heard a loud noise, and then someone at the door, and then..."

"Shhh. Hush my little foals, you're okay now..." Bubble reassured.

"It was so scary..." Bold remarked.

"It's okay my foal," Bubble replied. "But for now, we have to leave..."

Winter poked his head into the room and glanced about. When he noticed the three foals, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the Cold you're alright!" he managed. They looked towards the Windago and passed a smile.

Sunny spoke, "Winter, when did you come?"

"I was coming over to visit, and then I heard gunshots and explosions, so I rushed over here," he answered. "I was so worried that one of you would get hurt."

Just then, Celestia looked into the room.

"Hurry, my little ponies, there's not much time!" she ordered. "William just opened a portal for you and it won't be long before it closes again."

Bubble looked towards her daughter and said, "Sunny, let's go!"

She picked up her foals in her front hooves and flew out of the room along with Sunny, while Winter went after them. The portal was waiting for them in the halls and on the other side they could see a human figure standing beside what was undoubtedly their father, beckoning them to enter. Before they did, Celestia gave them all one last family hug.

"Be safe, my little angels," she said tearfully. "I love you all so very much."

"We'll be alright," Bubble replied with equal sadness in her tone. "Please take care of yourself as well..."

They released her from the hug and entered the portal while Aqua was saying, "We're coming daddy!"

They leaped through the portal together and found themselves in TD's Equestria. Because of how close he had been standing to the portal, TD actually got tackled a bit as they enter, laughing cheerfully as they exited.

"Hey, kids! Good to see you again," he said with a smile, ruffling their manes.

"It's nice to see you too Uncle William!" Sunny cheered.

"I'm so glad you're alright my foals," Joy sighed in relief and then looked towards his dear sweetheart. "I'm so thankful that you're alright as well, my dear."

"Hey, you didn't forget about me, now did you?" Winter joked as he floated up to them.

"Wait a minute, there's one extra foal here," TD noted and looked to Aqua. His face lit up. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yep," Joy confirmed. "My little Aqua Blaze..." he said as he nuzzled his foal's mane.

"Wow... time flies," TD remarked. "Hello Aqua. Name's William. I'm an old friend of your parents'. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to... see you too..." Aqua said.

Tempus suddenly walked into the room, his green eyes glittering as he observed what was going on.

"So, anypony going to tell me what I just walked in on?" The alicorn asked as his dark personality walked up beside him, his red glowing eyes scanning the room.

"Oh," TD stood to his feet after managing to get the foals off him gently. "Tempus, these would be Joy's family. As well as their friend, Cold Winter the Windago."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Tempus said, smiling.

 **"It's a pleasure to meet you as well,"** Tempus's dark personality added with a smile, which looked slightly disconcerting thanks to his jagged teeth.

"It's a... pleasure," Bubble replied.

TD chuckled. "Don't worry, he's on our side. Both sides of him are."

"That's a relief," the Windago remarked. Tempus sighed and rolled his eyes, before his dark personality absorbed into his body and he smiled apologetically.

"Sorry... He's on our side, but his appearance can be slightly disturbing. Guardian of Time, Prince of Time, Life, and Death, at your service," he said, bowing slightly.

"Well, that's reassuring..." Bubble then smiled with confidence. "Princess Bubble Heart," she greeted as her wings flared open. "Princess of Hope, and fifth crowned Princess of Equestria."

Tempus chuckled as he opened his own wings.

"In your Equestria maybe. From where I come from, we have nine alicorns, myself included," he explained as a blue mist suddenly shot up beside him, forming into Nightmare Moon.

"Is that... Nightmare Moon?" Bubble gave her a brief look before realizing, "I guess, she's on our side as well?"

"Yep!" TD remarked. "She and Task Force Omega. On that note, how fairs the training Nightmare?"

Nightmare grunted. "We could use Prince Sunrise's help getting the recruits in order. They're hopelessly confused by the tactics Crystal's trying to teach them."

Tempus smirked. "I'll check with my sisters to see if they're able to spare Sunrise and a contingent of royal guards. Although knowing Celestia, she'll want to come here if her husband is coming here," he said, as his dark personality materialized beside him before vanishing with a small flash of light.

"That would help immensely," TD agreed as another figure walked into the room.

"Uncle William, we just received some more recruits-" Serena started, but then went silent when she saw the group before her, especially Winter. With a squeal of joy she tackled the Windago spirit in a big embrace.

"Winter! You're here!" the siren-hybrid squealed as she nuzzled up against him. Winter smiled and returned the affection as well.

"Good to see you again, my beautiful Siren," he answered.

"Serena!" Joy and Bubble spoke up as they saw her and gave a light chuckle.

"You know, Winter always talks about you!" Sunny exclaimed. "I knew he likes you very much..."

Sunny gave a sly smile at this. Tempus smiled as he saw the two, before turning as a portal opened up behind him, made of an extremely dark blue magic. His dark personality stepped through, followed immediately by a white pegasus with piercing blue eyes, which were constantly darting around. The pegasus wore armor made from the same material as Crystal Guards armor was, yet it was styled in the fashion of the type the Royal Guard of Canterlot wore.

 **"They agreed to it, although you got a bit more of a bargain than you expected,"** Tempus's dark personality said as Tempus's Celestia and Luna came out of the portal as well, followed by Luna's husband, Star Seeker. Tempus's Starlight came through the portal next, and with a squeal the alicorn rushed over to her husband, hugging him tightly just as Royal Guards started pouring from the portal, arranging themselves in formation behind the group. The last pony to come through the portal before it closed was a white unicorn with an icy blue mane and tail, her dark blue eyes scanning her surroundings as she walked up to stand beside Tempus.

"Yeah, I'd call that a _lot_ more of a bargain than you expected," Nightmare said with a smirk.

"Quite a clowd here..." Bold muttered to his sister. "Is evelything allight?"

"I don't know..." Sunny replied in a whisper. "I guess there is a big fight ahead..."

"Oh..." Bold said. Sunrise walked up to TD, removing his helmet as he stopped.

"I believe you needed a drill sergeant?" The Pegasus asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

TD chuckled. "About time. The others are training in the throne room. I made it particularly large on the inside for this session for... obvious reasons. And yes, Bold, sadly we're preparing for war."

"Oh, that's not... good," Bold said to himself. Meanwhile, Joy and Bubble were pondering over the situation. Bubble gave a sigh and looked towards her husband.

"This should feel stranger than it does... don't you think so my sweetie?" Bubble asked.

"Hmm... I guess we're too used to these kind of things now..." Joy replied.

TD started out the doors. "Everyone, follow me please. I'm sure some of you may or may not recognize all of the figures I've invited. Especially if you were part of Red Team. On that note, I think they're down there too."

He led them down the halls to the throne room, which (as he said) was now about the size of several football fields somehow, filled with soldiers of all kinds, mostly Changeling and pony recruits. Although, a few other figures stood out from the rest... like the three dragons or the pony in Clone armor, or even the Mobians that were giving instructions to some newbies.

"Wow, now I am surprised..." Bubble said. Sunrise looked around, before he put his helmet back on, his blue eyes staring out through the eye slits.

"So, which group do you want me to take over TD?" He asked. "I can take around 500 recruits and whip them into shape as soldiers easily."

TD pointed to a group of at least one thousand just now being assembled by the vampire pony Tracker.

"Take half of Tracker's assembly there," he suggested. "They're fresh recruits, just came in from the other areas."

Just then, the sound of steel against steel rang out and they turned to see Bill Prower sparring with another human. The human was a female with white hair, a grey fencing dress, and blue eyes. Her sword seemed a bit odd and filled with colored cylinders that seemed to give her sword an elemental aspect. They could hear the fox giving her pointers as they sparred with each other.

"Focus, Weiss!" Bill encouraged as he parried one of her strikes. Remember, it's all in the wrist!"

Sunrise nodded, before he trotted towards Tracker, unslinging his gleaming spear from his back. Tempus walked up beside TD, the white unicorn beside him.

"TD, remember Frost here?" the alicorn asked, as the white unicorn extended a hoof. "She's willing to teach any unicorn recruits how to do ice magic."

"Ah, yes!" he said, giving her hoof a shake. "We have some elemental soldiers over in that corner..." He pointed at one end of the room. "We could use another teacher of ice magic here."

Nightblade arrived just then in his Mobian form through one of the doors.

"Sorry I'm late. I was bringing some equipment from my lab," he apologized.

"Nightblade! Welcome!" TD greeted. "You're not late at all, friend."

"Thank Souls," Blade said. "Anyways, I have some Equipment for the Elite Troops. It could be useful," he explained. Frost smiled, before racing off, her icy blue mane and tail trailing behind her. Tempus glanced around, his green eyes taking in all the recruits, before he let out a grunt.

"Hopefullt Michael will have some luck retrieving Pyrunian guns and ammunition from a possible warehouse on Earth," The alicorn said to TD. "If he does, Chris may be able to redesign them to work for our soldiers, as well as upgrade the weaponry on his own suit."

"Knowing Red, he might try to mess with them too," TD chuckled.

"You're darn right I would!" Red called, using a welder to seal shut the torn apart helmet of T-bone's armor. "Alright, T-bone! Your last upgrade has been installed!"

The former Clone thanked the hedgehog and put the helmet one.

"Whoa!" he remarked. "Now that's an improvement! If the boys could see this, they'd be jealous."

"For real..." Red agreed. Just then, a gasp was heard from across the room and they looked to see Pinkie Pie and a red-hooded girl looking at each other.

"Pinkie Pie!"

"Ruby!"

The two collided and gave each other a big hug, speaking rapidly and excitedly at the same time so no one really knew what they were saying. There was a sudden snapping sound before Michael materialized nearby, grunting as he struggled with the massive crate he was carrying on his back.

"Little help here?" The Pyrunian asked, staggering slightly.

"I think... uh... yeah..." Blade walked over to Michael and he lifted the crate with his magic.

"Thanks," Michael said as he then used his own magic to levitate the lid off, a complicated looking gun floating out and floating down to rest in the Pyrunian's hands as he looked it over.

"So, I guess now it's best to bring you and the foals to a safe spot in the palace," Joy said as he placed his hands on Bubble's shoulder.

"Alright, I understand," she said as she looked towards her foals. "William, a word please..."

"Sure!" TD walked over to Joy and Bubble. "What's up?"

"I thought it'd be better if we send the foals to a less crowded place in the palace, Joy explained. "They shouldn't be around while we're training..."

"I see your point," TD agreed. "Try the section of the palace where your room would be back in your Equestria. It's to the right after you get to the end of the stain glass windows. Who knows? Maybe you'll run into Sunshine. She always likes new friends."

"Alright," Bubble said. "I'll take them there... follow me children."

"Alright, Mom," Sunny complied as she walked behind her mother along with her little brothers, leaving their father in the throne room. Blade looked at the weapon from earlier.

"That's a fine lookin' gun you got there," he complimented.

"Thanks. Now, if I can figure out how to activate it..." Michael said as he turned the gun over, before suddenly his hands flared with icy magic and the gun suddenly powered up, icy blue light glowing along its sides as it hummed softly. "Woah!"

Blade whistled. "I was not expecting that."

Michael turned and aimed the gun at a section of the wall. Bracing himself, the Pyrunian pulled the trigger, and with a cracking sound a blast of ice shot out, freezing a massive section of the wall before he released the trigger.

"Okay, this is freaking awesome!" Michael exclaimed, grinning crazily as he looked the gun over again.

"That was amazing! This Behemoth of a gun can quite pack a punch!" Blade remarked with a smile.

"Apologies gents," TD stated as he walked over to Michael and Blade. "Had some technical difficulties to deal with. That's a neat gun."

"Ooo! Ooo! Please let me study one of those!" Red shouted as he rushed up to them. "I've been DYING to get my hands on one of these!"

Michael grinned as he used his magic to levitate another one out, floating it down to Red.

"Just don't blow anything up Red," the Pyrunian said with a wry grin.

"Yeah... I'm just gonna... take a step back..." Blade took a step back.

"Relax, comrades. If anyone or anything is gonna get blown up, it's me from my own stupidity!" Red stated cheerfully as he walked back towards his workbench.

"You're not stupid!" Bill called as he continued to spar with Weiss. "You just don't know when to call it quits on the experiments."

"Why am I having a bad feeling about this?" Joy muttered to himself. "Oh yeah. Crazy hedgehog with a powerful weapon; does seem pretty dangerous."

Michael rolled his eyes as he sat down, examining his new weapon. Tempus walked around, the alicorn itching to spar with someone but not knowing who to ask.

"Hey Tempus!" TD called. "If you're looking for a spar, maybe try and see if Diego's ready. Or heck, try fighting Cobra and Lantana. I have a feeling they'll give you a run for your money!"

"Hey hey hey!" Red interrupted, cloning himself with a potion so that he could work and speak at once. "I already challenged Cobra to a spar! He's taken!"

Cobra let out a snort from where he stood. "Then why don't you get over here before I just spar with someone else while I wait?" The SandWing challenged as he swung his axe by his side. Tempus nodded at TD's previous statement, then he took off running, searching for Diego.

"I guess I can use some training too," Joy said with a smirk. "Anyone need a sparing partner?"

"Well now that you say so Joy... I'd like to see just how much you learned from me," TD chuckled. "I could use the training."

Meanwhile, Red smirked at Cobra as he walked over to him.

"You wanna spar, dragon boy? It's on!" he shouted with a giggle, then rushed on over.

"Alright William!" Joy exclaimed, cracking his knuckles as a golden aura flared around him and he turned into his Blazing form. Now he had golden wings sprouting from his back, and his iris became slightly larger. "I am ready!"

"Then let's get ready to RUMBLE!" TD called out as he began the spar...

 **-Time Skip-**

Ten minutes later, a bell rang out signaling break time for everyone around. Spars ended abruptly, training drills came to a halt, and peace fell upon the throne room. Although, perhaps the most satisfied in the rooms were Red, Cobra, Tempus and Diego, who had thought their spars to be quite a worthy challenge.

"Man Cobra, your Animus magic is perhaps the hardest thing I've had to fight yet!" Red remarked with a whistle. "You almost beat me five times in the first minute with that stuff!"

Cobra grinned as he slung his axe across his back, breathing heavily.

"Now you know why I enchanted my soul to be safe from the consequences of using my magic. It's the one thing that makes me such a formidable opponent," the SandWing replied, chuckling. Tempus dipped his head respectfully to Diego, his sides heaving as he caught his breath.

"Good fight," the alicorn remarked with a smile.

"And well fought too," Diego agreed. "You are a true warrior, Tempus. I'm honored to fight with you."

"Well done, Joy!" TD congratulated his former student, not looking too winded. "It would seem that the student has become the teacher!"

"Well that's... impressive," Blade spoke up.

"Thanks," Joy said with a sheepish smile. "Now, I am sure that I am prepared for whatever is coming ahead!"

"I think you are," TD nodded, then called out to the recruits, "Good job everybody! Take a break for now and meet back in half an hour!"

Sunrise trotted over, a grin on the pegasus's face as he pulled his helmet off.

"Well, this is going easier then I expected," he said, chuckling. "They sure take instructions well once you start getting tough on them."

"I don't believe I could ever do it personally," TD commented. "No offense to you ponies, but I tend to find that Equestrians not only have to be told what to do, but also have it explained to them WHY and the concept of it too!" He groaned. "Seriously, how hard is it to understand how to hand up a banner?!"

Joy blinked in surprise as TD said this. "You're still holding that grudge against them...?" he asked with chuckle.

Blade looked at TD. "You need to calm down..." he said.

"I always have held that grudge on them!" TD remarked. "It's more than half the reason why I've never officially dubbed myself a prince in this world!"

Joy found this sentence a little bit offensive, but tried to shrug this off with an, "Alright..."

"I don't know how it works. I'm sorry! Do I just not know how they're motivated?" TD asked no one in particular.

"You better hope Twilight didn't hear any of that," Bill laughed, then looked back over to his sparring partner Weiss, who was shaking her head.

"I swear, I will never know how any of you work," she stated.

"I don't really have any special way I work," Tempus said, grinning. "I just do what feels right."

"That's not too difficult, alright," Joy commented. "Everything works in its own way, and so do we."

"Nothing can ever describe how I work," TD agreed, then looked around. "Hey, I just thought of something... where's all the kids? I mean, like the babies and such? Please tell me we have a way for them to be cared for at the moment."

"Especially AJ and Evan's Cheerilee," Red added from his workbench, the cloning effect having worn off. "They both look as if they'll be due any day now. Although, there's not much we can do about AJ. When she wants to do something to help, she ain't taking no for an answer. Real stubborn that way."

"I believe we, meaning my family, managed to trick our kids into a room from which they can't escape so we could do this," Tempus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We didn't want them getting hurt..."

"That's not what I meant, and it's a section of the palace, not a room," TD corrected.

"I meant before we even left our world TD," Tempus countered.

"Oh... well what about the ones already here?" TD inquired. "How do we deal with them when the whole thing comes crashing down on us?"

Tempus shrugged. "I don't know. Ask the parents," he said flatly. Suddenly, they heard Diego slap his forehead.

"You know who we forgot to invite?" he remarked. "We forgot Tempest Shadow!"

"Don't you mean Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" Red asked with a cheeky smile.

"Tempest is easier to remember, Red," TD pointed out. "The only problem I see with that is having to call a certain alicorn Temp just to avoid confusion."

"My name's Temp _us_ , but I'm fine with Temp for the time being," Tempus muttered sourly. "Even if I dislike it, it gets the job done."

"Alright..." Joy said in confusion. "Anyone else? Do you have any suggestions to protect the babies, and other young ones who can't defend themselves?"

"I may," Michael said as he stood, black lightning flickering around him. "I can get a time remnant to stand guard while I'm out doing the actual fighting." He jerked his head at TD. "TD knows what a time remnant is, so he can fill you all in on that."

"Isn't that like a time loop or an unaccessible point in time?" TD asked. "Sorry if my memory is a bit rusty; it's been a while."

"No, it's this," Michael said as he set down his gun, before taking off at super speed, black lightning trailing behind him as he raced around the throne room. After a few seconds, he skidded to a stop before them, just as a streak of black lightning raced past him and skidded to a stop on their other side, revealing a duplicate of the Pyrunian.

"Oh... I just call that being in two places at once," TD remarked. "Only this time, one is fake and the other's real. At least, that's how it always worked for me."

"So, it's like using a combination of Accellero and Duplication spell, right?" Joy asked.

"Neither of us is a fake," one of the Pyrunians said, picking up the gun he'd set down.

"I'm just him from two minutes in the past," the other Michael added with a grin. "And no, it's called time travel plus taking yourself out of the past and into the present. We're both real, and we can both die. I'm not just an extension of myself; I am a separate Michael Watcher entirely."

"Like when Herobrine supposedly killed me in the war against him. Remember that TD?" Tempus asked his friend.

"Oh... Right. I haven't used that too often, so my apologies if I get things wrong," he said, then asked, "So how does this apply to the kids?"

"I can be guarding them," the Michael without the gun started.

"While I'm out fighting," the one holding the gun finished.

"That'll do it," TD agreed.

"Very simple and efficient; this definitely is the best idea," Joy said.

"Alright, we have a plan down. Now, we follow through with it," TD agreed. "And for safety reasons, I won't tell you where to hide them while the author is watching."

Actually, believe it or not, that's a smart idea.

"I can still hear ya you know!" Tempus yelled towards the sky.

"You too?" Joy asked as he looked around. "Tell me, how many of you behave like Pinkie as well? So I don't feel so confused at acts like these..."

"I can also break the 4th wall, so consider yourself warned," the Michael with the gun said.

"And then there's me, Red, Bill, Diego, my Twilight, maybe good ol' Tia, Screwball, Discord, and Chuck's son Sterling!" TD listed. "Anyone else, I am currently unaware of."

"Don't forget me," Nightmare Moon said as she suddenly materialized beside TD.

"Well, that'll do it," Joy said with a sly chuckle. "I hope that's all..."

"Nope, I am also one of them," Evan remarked as he suddenly was standing beside Joy, surprising him in the process. "I'm not just as obvious as others."

Tempus chuckled. "So how many is that now?"

"Hmm... Don't know, don't care. As long as they're on our side," TD stated. As he spoke, another bell rang and he sighed, pulling out a megaphone. "Alright, you lazy bums! Get back in here and form ranks! Training begins now!"

Sunrise raced off, heading for the troops he was training and TD sighed aloud as he looked about.

"This is gonna be a long day..."

* * *

The blue unicorn named Aqua Blaze was roaming around in the Canterlot Palace. Looking through the vast halls, he noticed the stained glass images of some recent events in that Equestria.

"Hmm... not that different if everything's the same," Aqua thought to himself aloud. "I'm... bored..."

As he looked around, he suddenly noticed a burst of rainbow-colored flames on one of the walls and a figure appeared that looked much like his mother Bubble... but smaller.

"Nope, that's the wrong one," he heard the figure say, then another burst of flames occurred around her and this time she was Twilight sticking to the wall. "There we go! Yes!"

The false Twilight cheered, and then yet another burst of flames engulfed her and cleared to reveal an eight-eyed, wingless Changeling with a rainbow mane. One of her eyes seemed to notice Aqua and then she turned to him as all eight eyes focused on the colt.

"Oh... hi there! Who are you?" she asked.

"Gah!" Aqua was a little startled and backed off a few steps, as his horn glowed not in a violent, but a protective light. "Don't try to hurt me, I'm warning you..."

"Whoa, take it easy," the Changeling reasoned, giving him a non-threatening gesture with her mismatched hooves. "I'm not here to hurt you. I was just curious of who you are. I've never seen you here in the palace before."

Aqua's horn ceased to glow at this as he gave a her curious look, and blushed out of embarrassment. He took a few steps towards her.

"I am Aqua Blaze. Me, my siblings, and my mother came here to be safe, while my father is here to fight a monster along with his friend..." he replied looking down to his hooves, still blushed for misunderstanding her.

"Father?" The Changeling then got a look of realization. "Oh, you're Prince Joy's son! I knew you smelled familiar!"

She walked off of the wall as naturally as one normally walked and held out her hoof.

"My name is Sunshine," she greeted. "I'm Celestia's daughter... well, at least in this world."

 _My smell?_ he thought in a little confusion before realizing what she meant. He looked towards her hoof and then towards her, and held out his hoof as well.

"Nice to... meet you," he said. They both gave each other a hoofshake, then Sunshine giggled.

"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier," she said with a small blush. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Aqua smiled a little at this. "I'm sorry too, for being scared like that... I didn't mean to act like that..."

"It's okay," Sunshine reassured him. "I'm not the best looking Changeling around... I sometimes make some ponies get scared like you were." She sighed. "Those stuck up nobles for one... They keep saying that I'm creepy."

"Those crappy nobles..." Aqua muttered somewhat in anger. Sunshine looked to him with some sympathy and surprise.

"You have them too?" she asked.

"I... yes..." Aqua admitted. "The fact that I'm what they call a... hybrid; they look to me and my brother like we're... creeps..."

"Oh, that's terrible!" Sunshine remarked, giving him a sympathetic look. "Don't let them get to you. They're just bullies with fancy clothes on." She chuckled a bit. "I remember when I first told Uncle William about a time when they called me a mistake." Her form changed into the human in question and she mimicked his voice. "What?! And they don't notice that they themselves are the mistakes? The scoundrels!" She returned to her normal form and giggled. "I hear that he scared them senseless for that one."

Aqua giggled at this and eventually gave a light laugh. "That's what they truly deserve!"

Sunshine laughed herself. "You know, I think I'm starting to like you. You're cool in my book, no matter what those nobles or bullies say to you."

"You... like me?" Aqua smiled sheepishly. "I guess... I do too."

"Ah, shucks," Sunshine blushed and gave him a small shrug. "Hey, tell you what. If any bullies come around while you're here, you let me know, okay?" She smirked. "I'll be sure to scare any pants they may be wearing right off, just for you!"

"Really?" Aqua said. "Thanks! And if any noble tries to bully you, you let me know..." He looked around quickly for a bit. "My brother won't like this, but I'll make sure to scare the...Tartarus outta them!" Aqua whispered.

"Ooo! I like it!" Sunshine chuckled in an obviously fake sinister manner. Then she smiled and gave him a hug. "Thanks. You're the best!"

Aqua returned the hug while giving her a smile. "Thank you too..."

"Ah! Hashtag cute!" a voice commented, breaking in on them and causing them both to look to the voice of the one who had spoken. It was Red and he was sporting a huge smile with puppy eyes.

"I can already sense a romance blooming here," he remarked, making the two kids blush furiously.

"Uncle Red, cut it out!" Sunshine protested, while Red just laughed.

"Don't worry," he said. "I won't tell your mothers. You look too cute together for me to do that."

"Umm," Aqua seemed a little too confused to reply.

"Red! Stop teasing the young ones and get in here!" TD's voice called out. Red gave a fake pout.

"Never let's me have any fun," he muttered, then gave the two foals a wink. "See you two later!"

Red took off down the hall, leaving Sunshine and Aqua feeling very confused. Well, Aqua mostly; thanks to being a Changeling (as well as having a few chats with TD), Sunshine knew to some extent what Red had been implying.

"We should... probably go see how our parents are doing," she suggested, releasing Aqua from her hug.

Aqua nodded. "Okay..."

"Come on! I think Mom's this way..." Sunshine exclaimed as she started trotting quickly down the halls, occasionally crawling on the walls as naturally as Aqua could run on the ground.

"Awesome!" Aqua complemented her ability to walk on the walls.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Sunshine noted, two of her eyes glancing behind her to look to him. "Apparently, my species makes up for lack of flight with this ability."

She led him down the halls until they reached a familiar room... or what seemed to be familiar to Aqua. Behind the door, they could hear two voices that sounded like Celestia and Bubble both.

"It looks like my dad's room..." Aqua said in surprise as they looked towards the door. "I guess Mommy is in there."

"I think so too," Sunshine agreed, and then opened the door to find Celestia and Bubble both talking to each other. When the two alicorns noticed their children, they smiled warmly.

"Hi Mom!" Sunshine greeted, giving Celestia a big hug.

"Hello my Sunshine," Celestia answered, nuzzling her child affectionately. Aqua went closer to his mother and also gave a her a hug.

"How's my brave little colt?" Bubble asked as she nuzzled him softly.

"I'm fine, mommy," Aqua said. Celestia giggled as she looked between the two of them.

"I'm assuming you've made a new friend, Sunshine?" she remarked.

"Yeah!" Sunshine agreed. "He's a really nice colt. Is he staying here?"

"For now, yes," Bubble smiled. "So you both will have plenty of time to play together."

"Yay!" Sunshine cheered.

"Yay!" Aqua cheered with almost equal enthusiasm. Bubble managed a small smile. While she was glad that her child was happy, she couldn't ignore how serious the situations were right now.

 _Please be safe, my sweetie._

Sunshine seemed to sense this change of emotion inwardly, because she looked to Bubble with a curious expression.

"Aunt Bubble, are you okay?" she asked. "You feel... worried or sad."

Celestia looked to Bubble with a shrug.

"Changelings. You can't hide anything from them," she explained.

"No, it's okay," Bubble smiled and ruffled the Changeling's mane with her hoof. "I'll be alright, my dear."

Sunshine nodded, deciding it was best not to question it for the moment. Celestia seemed to notice this and gave a suggestion.

"Why don't you show Aqua around the palace, Sunshine?" she suggested. "I'll bet he'd love to see what's different from his Canterlot back home."

"Okay!" Sunshine answered cheerfully, hopping towards the door and stopping to see if Aqua would follow. "Come on, Aqua!"

"Alright..." Aqua followed after. "Right behind you..."

Sunshine bounced up and down excitedly, and led him out the door, leaving the two alicorns alone once more. Celestia giggled.

"I think I can already tell where that is going to lead," she commented with a teasing smile towards Bubble.

"I see that..." Bubble giggled as well.

* * *

"And this is the garden!" Sunshine exclaimed excitedly as she was showing Aqua around. "It's my favorite place in the palace! So many different kinds of animals and plants... My personal favorites are the flowers and bees." She walked over to a patch of rather odd-looking roses nearby; dark blue ones that sparkled like Luna's mane. "These are Night Roses. Uncle William says that they come from a different planet, and they only bloom at night. Aunt Luna really likes them."

There was a chuckle from near the roses, and then a soft voice spoke out of thin air.

"The gardens are one of my favorite places in Canterlot. It reminds me of the stories my parents tell me of the rainforest where they grew up," the voice said.

"Who was that?" Aqua suddenly looked around. "Sunshine, did you hear that too...?"

Sunshine gave a giggle. "I did, and I think I know who it was." She looked at a specific location near the roses and said, "You can come out now, Sandflower."

The air shimmered, before colors suddenly spread through the air, eventually revealing a female dragon, her bright eyes focused on Sunshine and Aqua as her barbed tail curled up behind her protectively.

"Hi Sunshine!" she said happily, smiling.

"Hi Sandflower! Good to see you again," the Changeling answered, giving the dragon a big hug. Aqua just gave her a look of wonder, which was clearly asking, _"_ _How can she hide herself like this?"_ Then he placed a hoof on his chin and spoke.

"You're... Sandflower?"

Sandflower nodded.

"That's right! The daughter of Cobra and Lantana! I'm one of Sunshine's best friends!" she said, hugging the Changeling back.

"Oh," Aqua smiled. "It's nice to meet you then."

"Nice to meet you too! What's your name?" Sandflower asked, smiling widely as she released Sunshine.

"My name's Aqua Blaze," Aqua replied.

"He's Prince Joy and Princess Bubble's son," Sunshine explained. "His family just arrived from their Equestria."

Sandflower nodded, smiling.

"It's kind of confusing for me to try and think about all the other worlds out there. I mean, it's hard enough knowing about my parents' home world, and then the one that Tempus lives on, but if I learn about any more my brain may melt," she remarked, making a sour face.

Sunshine giggled. "Mommy and I have learned to just roll with it!"

"My aunt Twilight told me about this alternate world thing... but I don't think I understood that much either..." Aqua said with a bashful smile.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Sandflower asked, lifting into the air restlessly. "I'm bored!"

As if on their own accord, colors started rippling over Sandflower's scales, reflecting every single color possible in the world.

"Well... Mommy and the other adults are busy, so maybe we could go out and have some fun!" Sunshine suggested, then looked to Aqua. "Have you ever flown before?"

"Me? No... I mean yes, but not by myself..." Aqua said.

"Ever flown on a dragon before?" Sandflower asked, still hovering in the air.

"No," Aqua shook his head.

"Well, you may be able to now," Sunshine remarked. "Uh, you want to ride shotgun? I feel that it's only fair, being the new one in the party."

"You're not kidding me, right?" Aqua asked in disbelief. "I'm really gonna ride a dragon?!" His tone was full of excitement. Sandflower landed, crouching and extending a wing as a ramp.

"You sure bet ya you are!" she said, grinning.

"All aboard the Dragon Express!" Sunshine cheered, crawling up onto the dragon's back.

"Now, you're talking!" Aqua exclaimed as he sat on the dragon's back as well.

"Hang on!" Sandflower shouted as she took off.

"WAHOOOO!" Sunshine squealed joyfully, sounding almost like a very young Pinkie Pie.

"WHOOH!" Aqua shouted. "IT'S EVEN MORE FUN THAN DAD'S BACK RIDES!"

"It's amazing, isn't it!" Sandflower yelled back, grinning crazily.

"Yeah!" Aqua shouted in excitement. Sunshine laughed aloud, and then leaned out a ways from her perch, somehow managing to hang on with only her back hooves as she let the wind blow through her web-like mane. Her eight eyes closed and a peaceful smile formed on her face. It looked as if she was a free spirit flying through the air, finally free from the worries of the world.

"Hang on!" Sandflower yelled. "It's about to be a bumpy ride!"

"Fire her up! Full speed ahead!" Sunshine shouted. "Full throttle!"

Aqua was just smiling and quiet for a moment, before he heard what Sunshine just said.

"Full throttle?" Aqua asked in half surprise.

"It's something I've heard Uncle Red say!" Sunshine explained, shouting to be heard over the wind in their ears. "It's a way to say go as fast as possible!"

"Just hang on!" Sandflower shouted as she started to lean forwards, slowly picking up speed as she went into a dive. Sunshine nodded and finally settled down on Sandflower's back, sitting in a way that seemed as if she was sitting normally and not holding on for dear life. But considering that she could climb walls naturally, it wasn't a big deal.

"Sweet mother of my father!" Aqua suddenly yelled as she started to catch the pace. Sandflower let out a whoop as she started to accelerate even faster.

"You think going this fast is alright...?" Aqua asked sheepishly. "Not that... I am complaining or... anything..."

"She's done this before! We'll be fine!" Sunshine reassured.

"Yeah, it's perfectly fine!" Sandlfower yelled back.

"But, in case you want to land... Sandflower, where's a good spot for us to land and hang out?" Sunshine inquired. Sandflower thought for a few seconds, before shrugging.

"I don't know. I could take us to my place outside Ponyville, but that's a bit far," she said. "We could go back to the gardens, but I don't think that would be extremely fun."

"Let's try your place. I haven't been there since I was three!" Sunshine suggested.

Aqua smiled and nodded. "Alright... Let's go there."

"Okay!" Sandflower said, as she pulled out of her dive, gravity forcing down hard on her passengers as she returned to her normal flying speed.

"I remember the first time that happened to me," Sunshine reminisced with a giggle. "I thought my exoskeleton was getting smaller!" She gave a sheepish smile. "And then I realized that it was just gravity."

"I don't feel..." Aqua's face color was changed to light yellowish before returning to normal "...so good."

"Uh oh... Sandflower, we may need to make that landing a quick one," Sunshine remarked. "We have a sick passenger."

Sandflower turned back, sheepishly smiling. "I may be able to take care of that before we land," she said softly. "See, there's a secret I've been keeping for a while... nobody knows about it, not even my parents."

"What is it?" Sunshine asked.

"You may be able to just guess Sunshine," Sandflower said as she held up one of her talons, looking at it thoughtfully. "I mean, you do know what my dad's capable of, right?"

"The poison barb?" Sunshine thought, then she looked to her friend. "Are you suggesting...?"

"No!" Sandflower yelped. "Not the barb! The other thing he can do! Or do you not know about that?"

"Oh, probably not," Sunshine remarked. "Though I'm kinda glad it's not the barb. What is it then? The only other thing I know he can do is Animus magic."

Sandflower smiled as she looked back, a small twinkle in her eyes. "You hit the nail on the head. That's the secret I've been keeping from them since I was about five or six."

"Are we are there yet?" Aqua asked in a half-dazed condition.

"Well then use it please, before he goes unconscious," Sunshine pleaded, a bit of worry in her tone. "I didn't make a new friend just to lose him mid-flight."

Sandflower nodded, before aiming a claw at Aqua. "I enchant anything affecting Aqua currently to go away, and return him to how he was before I pulled out of my dive, when he was perfectly healthy and not feeling sick!"

Aqua opened his eyes completely and shook his head. "I feel... weird... don't feel like riding the dragon anytime soon now..."

"Don't worry, you just had some air sickness," Sunshine reassured. "It happens to all of us. You'll get used to it over time." She noticed a cave off in the distance and smiled. "I think we're here!" She then gave a questioning look to Sandflower. "Is that it? Again, haven't been here since I was three, so my memory's a bit rusty."

Sandflower nodded, smiling as she neared the cave.

"It is! Home sweet home!" She said as she dove towards the entrance, pulling up and landing gently on the ledge outside the entrance, before walking inside and crouching to allow her passengers to get off. "Welcome to my home!"

For decorations, there wasn't a lot to see. There was a few paintings around the cave, a mass of blankets in one area that was obviously her sleeping area, and a table with a bunch of open scrolls and ink vials.

"This is... huge," Aqua said. "I think I know about this cave..." He looked around for a moment before shrugging it off. Then he smiled. "Anyways, this is very well-decorated for a cave..."

"Thanks. I try my hardest," Sandflower said, before adding sheepishly. "You can get off now."

"Oh, sure..." Aqua smiled at his own silliness, and got off her back.

"Canon ball!" Sunshine called out, her form suddenly changing into a bouncy ball of fluff or whatnot and falling to the floor lightly, then her form changed back in a flash. Sandflower walked over to the table, picking up one of the scrolls and rolling it up, setting it on a rack before doing the same with another.

"Feel free to look around," She said. "Just be careful, okay? A lot of things in here are fragile."

"Okay... I'll keep that in mind," Aqua passed her a smile and trotted towards Sunshine.

"This cave used to belong to a mean dragon about twenty or more years ago," Sunshine commented to Aqua as she started trotting up a wall to examine a small stalactite. "The dragon hasn't been back since then, so Uncle William gave the cave to Sandflower so she could live close to Ponyville."

"And I've been trying to get into some sort of writing career, but so far most of what I write is just things that I don't think anyone would find interesting," Sandflower sighed as she set the last scroll on its rack, beginning to pick up different colored vials of ink.

"I thought some of them were fun to read!" Sunshine remarked.

"I'd like to read them as well..." Aqua said.

"You really think that they're good Sunshine?" Sandflower asked, turning to her friend. "And you'd want to read one Aqua?"

"Yeah," Sunshine nodded. "You're even better than that one teacher I had for literary classes!"

"Geez, thanks Sunshine," Sandflower said as she rubbed the back of her neck with one of her talons. "I never knew anybody liked my writing that much..."

"Can I see your books too...?" Aqua asked. Sandflower nodded, reaching over to the rack of scrolls and sorting through them, before letting out a small noise of success as she lifted a book from the bottom of the stack, the cover plain leather with simple cold inlay for the title. She held it out to Aqua.

"Hopefully you like it... I never seem to find what I write any good."

"You shouldn't downplay yourself so willingly," Sunshine remarked. "You've got quite the potential in my opinion."

"Yeah, I agree..." Aqua said as he was reading the book while holding it in his aura. "Beside, it seems really interesting to me."

"Which one's that?" Sunshine asked, tilting her head a bit to get a better view, unintentionally looking a bit unsettling since her head had given an almost complete 180 turn from it's original position.

"Oh, that one's just a story I made up about some adventures I think I'd have if I grew up in my parents' homeworld instead of here," Sandflower said softly. "I didn't think it was that good."

"Why not...?" Aqua asked as he looked towards her. "You're a nice writer... at least me and Sunshine think so... right?" He looked towards Sunshine, who had by now turned herself completely towards him.

"Yeah! I give it a star!" Sunshine cheered, then noticed the way she was perched. "I'm sorry, is this freaking you out a bit?"

Sandflower shrugged. "I've gotten use to it," the dragon said with a wry smile.

"It would at first... but it doesn't anymore..." Aqua reassured with a sly smile. "I'll get used to this soon."

"Just checking. It took Mommy a while to get used to that," Sunshine answered with a small blush of her own."

"So what do you want to do now?" Sandflower asked as she climbed up the side of cave, courtesy of some indents carved into the wall.

"I don't know..." Aqua said with some confusion, then looked towards Sunshine as he seemed to get concerned about something. "Umm... do you think my big brother and sister will be mad at me for leaving without telling them?"

"Aqua, you're in the company of a Changeling who's the daughter of Princess Celestia and a dragon who can spit venom, stab enemies with a poisonous tail barb, and use magic," Sandflower said, looking down at Aqua from her perch on the cave ceiling, hanging onto the indentations with her claws. "You're safe, trust me."

Aqua smiled and nodded. "I trust you... thanks."

"You're welcome!" Sandflower said, giggling as she let her wings droop downwards, multiple colors rippling over her scales. "For the record, I trust you as well."

"And me!" Sunshine joined in. "I can tell you're a nice pony." She then added, "Blame being a Changeling for knowing that."

Aqua blushed at this. "I know you are a nice pony as well..."

"Sunshine's one of the nicest ponies I've ever met!" Sandflower exclaimed, turning her head to look at the Changeling. "That's why she's my best friend!"

The Changeling giggled. "And to think, this all started when I was still a baby!"

"Oh... when you were a baby?" Aqua asked in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, and when I was only seven!" Sandflower said, smiling as she remembered the day. "Remember the first time you rode on my back Sunshine?"

"How could I forget?" Sunshine remarked with a smile, reminiscing on that time. "It was the most thrilling experience I'd ever felt!"

"I don't know... if riding a dragon was all that thrilling to me..." Aqua commented rubbing the back of his head. "But I can say... I never had such a fun ride before..."

"Thanks! I'm sorry I made you sick," Sandflower said with a sheepish grin.

"It's okay. Daddy just doesn't fly that fast..." Aqua giggled.

"Whoa... nice cave," a voice called outside. "Hello!"

The voice echoed through the cave and then a familiar red hedgehog stepped inside, looking about. He noticed the children and smiled.

"Hi everyone!" Red cheerfully called out.

"Uncle Red, what are you doing here?" Sunshine asked. Sandflower turned her head and looked towards Red, grinning slightly as she camouflaged herself against the cave roof. Aqua was more than a little surprised to see the hedgehog there.

"I'm not here. I'm still at the palace!" Red remarked. "It's an easy spell Twilight showed me. Celestia wanted to make sure the two younger ones present were okay, so I volunteered to check things out." He chuckled. "Guess they were worried over nothing."

"I'd keep them safe," Sandflower's voice said from thin air. "I'm very good at that!"

Red looked around, then chuckled.

"Nice going there, Sandflower. I almost forgot you can do that," he stated.

"Thanks! Are you able to see me with my mixed heritage?" Sandflower asked, curious. Aqua looked towards the place where Sandflower was hiding while camouflaged, wondering how Red could see her.

"Truth be told, I can't see you period, that's how advanced the camo is," Red explained. "In truth, I guess I have what you could call a 'sixth sense' that allows me to detect you even if I can't sense you with my other senses. But even then, I heard where your voice was coming from and the near-silent sound of your claws moving on the roof, and pinpointed where you are through that."

"Wow! That's cool!" Sunshine exclaimed.

"Oh," Sandflower said, before appearing as she crawled back down to the ground, grinning sheepishly.

"So, are you here to take us back...?" Aqua asked. "Was my mommy worried about me?"

Red smiled reassuringly. "I'm not here to take you back; I was just checking up on you. And yes Aqua, your mother was worried for a second, but she won't be once I let her know." He gave them one last sad smile. "Have fun while you still can and keep your innocence too. It's the one thing I wish you could keep forever..."

He then sped out of the cave like a speeding bullet. Sandflower smiled as she stretched.

"I like Red. He's cool."

Aqua was just staring the entrance in confusion for some moment before he smiled.

"I... can agree," He said giving a small giggle.

"He's a cool uncle," Sunshine agreed, crawling down to the floor. "Well, now that they know where we are, who's up for story time?"

* * *

 **This chapter was mostly done by three authors (including myself) but I'm glad it is finally done! Thank you _Admirer Boy, Nightsoul Distortion,_ and _Darkstalker728_ for helping out in this chapter!**

 **Cya in the next one!**


	4. Cheerilee's Foal and Some Latecomers

"Are you certain this will work?" The Nameless One asked as he looked to his portal he had created on his ship, using the technology at his disposal.

"Trust me," Mephiles reassured. "I've done this before, and it will be no different. I ask nothing from you, save the destruction of Mobius once this is all over."

"Keep up the service, and you can consider it done," The Nameless One replied. He stepped back as Mephiles's hands started to glow and power radiated from his body. The energy he was building up got sucked into the portal, then unexpectedly a small human-like figure appeared, but one that had an unnatural look to him. He looked as if he was a hollow husk with the only feature to be seen being his eyes; terrible to behold and holding a dark secret behind them. The Nameless One smiled and addressed the figure formerly.

"Greetings, Beast of Time. I have been expecting you," the robot master remarked. Mephiles said nothing, but simply kept staring at the odd creature.

"The Nameless One..." The Beast hissed. "What do you want from me...?"

"I simply wanted to help you," The Nameless One remarked. "After all, we both share a common enemy."

Mephiles added on, "He thwarted you once and his organization imprisoned you in a broken timeline. We are talking about the one who calls himself TD, The Terror of Dimensions."

"The Guardian of Chaos..." The Beast said seemingly in glee. "I'll gladly assist you... my friend, then I'll destroy every time line he holds dear..."

"Then I have only one condition," The Nameless One remarked. "You may have anyone he holds dear to him, but he's mine. I have a score to settle with him personally."

The Beast was silent for a while, then a hissing chuckle was heard. "Deal..."

The Nameless One smiled and shook hands with the Beast.

"Now then, let's get on to business," he suggested, then turned to Mephiles. "Is everything ready?"

"Everything is going according to plan," Mephiles answered with an evil chuckle. "The unsuspecting fools know nothing..."

* * *

 **-Ten Earth years (Thousands of Equis years) ago...**

 _"Okay... you can do this," William said to himself as he looked over at the terrain in front of him. He had discovered over time that his newfound power wasn't as easy to control or as stable as he had thought it to be. Sure it granted him the ability to do just about anything he wanted, but it was addicting. Every time he did some chaos, he wanted to do some more. Only by mentally reminding himself how dangerous it could be was he able to keep from constantly spamming it. And even so, he had another issue to deal with. His personalities. They were his own actual thoughts personified by his magic and as such he could sometimes hear voices in his head shouting suggestions to him or trying to wrench for control of his body. Well, two of them did. The third seemed to be there simply to be a stalemate resolver, or to reason with one or the other. In other words, he didn't seem to act like he was on either side. That was a relief._

 _Today, William was looking down at a sight that was rather heart warming for him every time it occurred: several baby chicks that had hatched from their eggs barely a day or so ago. They were gathered around in a small pen that was kept warm by a kind of lamp that shone down on the chicks and lit up the otherwise dark garage that it was located in. The chicks peeped and chirped as William stared down at them, feeling a small wave of happiness but also of slight guilt as he picked one up. For he was about to try something with his powers. As he didn't want to harm his parents or other family, he had decided to test it on one of the chicks. Sounded cruel, but William wasn't too attached to any of the chickens on his family's mini chicken farm; they were often killed off anyways for dinner on some nights, dinners he'd actually participate in and eat of the chicken that he may have been friends with the other day._ _Living with the thought that one of those birds could one day be your next meal did not allow him to feel entirely attached to them._

 _Still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the one he held in his hands now. Sighing, he placed one of his other hands over it and it glowed slightly._

 _"I'm sorry little guy," he whispered. "I'll try to make it as fast as possible if it comes to that."_

 _A pulse of power was felt from his being and he suddenly felt as if he was in the mind of the chick... which is what he had intended. He could read its thoughts (which wasn't much, of course) and could even feel its emotions. It currently seemed to think of him as a second mother or something, which he felt slightly flattered at that. The innocence of the bird was adorable..._

 _Suddenly, the chick's eyes opened wide and it made a noise that sounded very much like gagging, causing William to put it down rapidly, fear running through his body. At first, he wasn't sure what had happened; but then it hit him like a slap to the face._

 _"The magic that went through it... it's too much for it's mind to handle... The poor thing..."_

 _William hadn't meant to kill it, but death was now inevitable for the small creature as it's eyes closed and it's breathing became smaller. Trying to lessen it for the innocent creature, William used some more of his magic to enact some kind of hypnotic state on it. It worked! The chick's eyes closed as it's breathing steadied- or steadied as much as it could while dying. It was now almost as if it was going to sleep..._

 _A swat on the butt made him jerk back to reality and he turned to see his mother standing there, accusing him of killing the chick. He protested that it wasn't on purpose and that it was an accident. He then gave her an 'explanation' of what happened: it had suddenly gagged and gone limp. True, but not the full story. His mother had let him off on a lighter note, concluding that it had simply died on its own and it wasn't his fault._

 _"But it was," he thought to himself quietly as he looked to the poor creature. "I killed it... even if it was an accident... I caused this..."_

* * *

 **-Present Day, Canterlot Palace in Equestria-**

TD's mind was brought back to the present by the sound of Red giving instructions to a new recruit who had followed him to the meeting room. It reminded him of what was currently going on.

"One more day," TD muttered to himself as he stared at the map of Equestria in front of him.

"Technically, one and-one-quarter-days," Red corrected. "We still have that six hour advantage."

"He's not wrong," Bill commented.

"And Time should work in our advantage because I'm here." Tempus said, standing behind TD and looking over his shoulder. "Right? Or am I just being to hopeful again?"

"It's been on our side so far," TD answered. "Don't see why it wouldn't be now..."

"William!" The group heard a tomboyish voice of a pegasus mare well-known to them.

"William!" The group of three mares entered the room, the one speaking being recognized as Scootaloo. "We've brought big news!"

"What's up you three? What have you got?" TD asked them.

"Evan's Cheer'lee is goin' ta' have a foal!" Applebloom shouted.

"She's WHAT?!" TD and his two rouge personalities shouted at once.

"Yeah! She just started going into labor not too long ago!" Sweetie Belle added. Tempus blinked, before realization dawned in his eyes.

"Ooohhhhh. So that's what I sensed," He said, nodding his head sagely.

"We came here as fast as we got the news!" Scootaloo explained. "We're off to hospital now! Twilight's friends are already there..."

TD was silent for a moment, then brought up his hands.

"Stand close to me if you want to be there in a flash. Literally," he stated.

"Ooo! A trip down Mulberry Street!" Red commented randomly. Tempus raised an eyebrow, before sighing.

"Might as well not tire myself out running at super speed there." He muttered, stepping up to TD.

"Ah' agree!" Applebloom remarked. TD snickered and with a snap they all teleported to the hospital. Most of the gang was already waiting for them in the waiting room.

"Next time, warn me before I almost fly into you," Rainbow Dash scolded, only a few inches away from TD's face.

"No promises, RD," TD chuckled.

"Darling, you're all here!" Rarity spoke up. "It's so nice to see you."

Tempus shook his head, before muttering.

"Should have just run..." He grumbled. "Gotta wait... for the room to stop spinning now."

The gang giggled a bit as Tempus said this.

"Hopefully, you'll get used to this," Joy said.

"How long has she been in there?" TD asked.

"At least an hour before you came," Applejack stated.

"Is Evan with her?" Bill inquired.

"Mmmhmm," Bubble nodded along with the rest of their friends. TD looked to a watch on his arm.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked him.

"Waiting to see how long before we hear her scream as if she's being murdered," TD replied.

"How rude..." Rarity pouted.

As if that was cue , they heard the painful screams of Cheerilee coming from the certain room. Joy made an expression which looked like he was remembering something similar.

"You were saying," Red remarked with a giggle.

"Same shoes before?" TD asked Joy. Joy smiled and nodded while Bubble gave a sheepish blush.

"Yes... pretty much."

"I remember when I went through the same thing," Tempus said, smiling as the room finally stopped spinning for him. "It was... _painful_ , since Starlight almost tore my leg off she was gripping it so tightly, but in the end it was worth it."

Joy held his hand with other as he heard that and a sheepish smile came upon his face.

"Guessed that..." As he said this, Bubble jabbed him lightly. Joy chuckled in response. "That day still is the most joyful day of my life."

Tempus rolled his eyes as he grinned.

"Yeah, same with me. In fact, I may or may not think about bringing my son Mortem here," the brown alicorn said. "He always has liked adventure, plus he's seemed to be a little bored for the past few months before I came here."

"I almost wish I was there to see that Joy," TD giggled. "I remember Chuck and maybe Pinkie Pie felt that Twilight was getting murdered when Zach was born."

"It's true," Twilight replied with an embarrassed smile.

"I was THAT close to busting down the hospital doors!" Pinkie laughed. "And then I remembered doing the exact same thing when the twins were born and called it off."

"I almost had a panic magical surge during the event," Bubble blushed. "I was just so scared..."

"It's alright my sweetheart," Joy smiled nuzzling her mane. "I know you didn't mean to almost blast the doctor into the wall..."

"I'm pretty sure my eardrums were murdered when our twins were born," Tempus said wryly. "I didn't expect for Starlight to be able to use the Royal Canterlot Voice... that was a big mistake on my part..."

After what felt like a really long time, the screams came to a rest, and a small crying voice could be heard.

"I guess..." Joy smiled "You heard that too right...?"

"I did..." Bubble smiled as well.

"Wahoo!" Pinkie cheered. "This calls for a-"

"Not yet!" everyone shouted.

"Relax! I was just messing with you!" Pinkie reassured. In a few moments, a unicorn mare with pink coat and light blue mane, wearing a nurse hat came in the waiting room.

"Congratulations," she smiled. "It's a cute little filly."

"Ah, I feel so happy for them!" Red said aloud, then aside to Twilight, "I owe you twenty bits."

"Really?" Tempus said with a raised eyebrow. "You bet on the gender? That's as bad as when my Celestia and her husband bet on whether or not my Starlight would be able to defeat my worlds Crystal Shard when she was evil."

"Moments like this..." Bubble said, wiping a tear or two from her eyes, "...makes me cry with joy."

"For the record, it wasn't a bet for me," Twilight stated bluntly to Tempus. "I knew it was a filly before he even made the bet."

Red looked to her with a murderous expression.

"Why, I oughta-" he began, but was stopped by Bill.

"Guys, different time," he reminded. "Right now, focus back on what's happened just now."

"Yeah. A new life being brought into the world is a joyous occasion," Tempus agreed, smiling as he inconspicuously used his wing to wipe a tear from his eye.

"If someone starts crying, I'm gonna cry too," TD remarked.

"Should we go there and see...?" Joy asked.

"Why not...?" The nurse smiled and nodded "You can definitely and go and see them now..."

"Okay, now the question is who's going to be the favorite aunt?" Pinkie asked aloud as they trotted/walked through the doors.

"She'll totally pick me! I'm next, remember?" Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Don't get your hopes up," TD chuckled. "There's like- what? Seven? Eight plus of you? Also, she's unaware of that system, Dash."

"What about best uncle?" Joy said "That'll be an easy one, right?"

"Again, debatable," TD chuckled. "There's a bit of a selection to be made."

"I think I'd be a good uncle," Tempus said softly.

"Ladies, you're all beautiful," Red stated. "Now, let's leave the debates to the parents. Besides, we're here."

They saw Cheerilee was lying on the hospital bed while holding a bundle in her front hooves. Beside the bed was standing Evan in his black cloak. Cheerilee looked up towards them and smiled.

"Evan, your friends..." Evan looked towards them silently as they noticed his smile and some tears flowing down from his cheeks.

"Ah... the nostalgia... Oh, it's coming back," Red commented. "Oh... the floodgates are opening..."

"Red, enough of the dramatics," TD chided gently, then to Evan, "Congrats man."

Tempus smiled. "So, how are you feeling Evan?"

"Thanks..." Evan said, "The joy I'm feeling right now, is beyond my comprehension..."

Cheerilee giggled. "He meant to say that he has never felt that much happiness before."

"I hear ya," TD chuckled. "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"

"It is..." Evan said as Cheerilee hooved the small filly to her father. Now they could see her face clearly, She was an earth pony, with purple coat that was a little darker than her mother's and a red mane.

"Isn't she the most beautiful thing in this universe?" Evan asked.

"Too much... cuteness!" Red squealed as his eyes turned into puppy eyes.

"Ahh, look at her," Applejack said. "She's so adorable."

"Quite a lovely filly," Rarity added.

"Alright, I'll admit it... She's too darn cute for even me to stay serious," Rainbow Dash remarked, earning a giggle from Fluttershy at her behavior.

Bubble nodded at this. "She absolutely is..."

"I wish I could contact with my mother now..." Evan sighed and then smiled. "Guess, I've to wait until..."

He went silent, knowing that saying that in front of Cheerilee wouldn't be good idea right now. Tempus blinked, before shrugging mentally.

"So, have you decided on a name yet?" He asked, smiling softly.

"Yes, tell me her name! I need to know so I can put it on her birthday cake!" Pinkie squealed softly so as not to disturb the baby filly.

"We were thinking about... Elena Dawnheart," Evan said.

"Oh, that's a beautiful name!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I agree," TD nodded. "Welcome to Equestria, Elena."

"Welcome to Equestria, Elena Dawnheart." Tempus said softly. "May your life be long and full of happiness."

 _"Can you even tell if that'll be the case?"_ Red asked telepathically, knowing that now was not a good time to bring up the doom and gloom out loud.

 _"Yes, I can tell that,"_ Tempus thought back. _"I just can't see the outcome of the upcoming fight."_

Evan and happily nuzzled his daughter and then looked towards them once again.

"Thanks..." Then they heard him speaking to them telepathically. _"_ _To help me protect my family... thank you so much."_

 _"I will always protect the living as long as I can."_ Tempus said, nodding once at Evan.

 _"Hey! you've been holding out on us!"_ Red remarked.

 _"Guys, now is not the time,"_ Bill stated. _"_ _He's right though. We're here for ya."_

 _"We should probably stop talking telepathically,"_ Tempus said. _"We're excluding the others who can't."_

"Yes you are," Twilight suddenly stated with a smirk.

"Never try that on her, boys," TD giggled.

"Wasn't my idea," Tempus protested, pointing at Red with a hoof. "He started it."

"Guilty," Red admitted.

Evan smiled and then turned to Cheerilee and her daughter. Cheerilee spoke. "Evan, how long we're gonna stay here? Not that I am complaining..."

"I guess we'll be staying in this world for quite a while... don't worry, we'll soon go back to our Equestria."

"I can give your daughter my blessing if you would like." Tempus suddenly said. "It might have some effect on keeping her safe since I'm the Prince of Life."

"Good idea," TD nodded. "She'll need it."

"Oh boy... now Ah'm thinking about my own foal," Applejack muttered.

"You'll be fine, Applejack," Fluttershy reassured.

Tempus nodded, before stepping forwards, lighting up his horn with his dark blue magic as he gently rested the end on Elena.

"I give thee my blessing Elena Dawnheart. Your life shall be a prosperous one, full of happiness and joy, without the oppressions of sickness and hurt."

"Thank you so much, Prince Tempus," Cheerilee said nuzzling the mane of her daughter .

"You're welcome Cheerilee," Tempus said as he stepped backwards, smiling tiredly. "Even though it drained me, I'm glad to do it to protect a young one."

Just then, they heard a beeping noise from Red and all turned to look at him.

"You said you wouldn't bring that to this occasion!" Bill scolded.

"I didn't know I had it with me," Red remarked, pulling out a small portable holo-screen. He looked at it, then looked up in shock. "I hate to break this occasion, but we've got company, and I don't know if it's the good kind!"

All of a sudden, Michael materialized next to them, his different colored eyes glowing.

"What's the update?" He asked, before adding, "Before you ask, I have a spell on Tempus to tell me if anything interesting happen involving him."

Evan quickly put on his hood. "TD, should I take Cheerilee and Elena to the Palace...?"

"For now," TD consented. "We don't know yet if it's a friend or foe. Everyone else, on me."

He started to walk out of the hospital with the others following suit, except for Bill who stayed a moment longer.

"When this is over, I am going to kill him for making me his good personality," he muttered. "Stay safe, you two."

Then the old fox followed his friends.

"I should go too..." Joy said. "Bubble, stay here for a while..."

Bubble nodded at this, then Joy went after them as well. Tempus walked beside TD, glancing at the chaotic entity.

"William, if it is a foe, I don't know if I'll be at full power..." the alicorn said softly.

"Don't worry, I don't think it'll come to that," TD answered as they came outside. They found a cloud of smoke in the streets and a figure standing among it.

"Found him," Red commented as TD raised his hands, two spheres of magic seen in his palms.

"State your intentions!" he demanded. "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

Shaking his head while rubbing his eyes for the sudden dizziness, the figure let out an mutter to mostly himself.

"Okay...one note to self; never trust Discord, by going into his game with this universe travelling..." Then , once he lowered his hands to see what was going on, he saw an human with some spheres in his palms. He got into an defensive stance. "What are you doing?!"

"I am getting ready to defend my friends and my family from you, if you happen to be hostile," TD replied. "So I ask again... are you for us or for our enemy?"

"Just answer him, man," Bill suggested. "Things have been a bit jumpy lately, and we don't know what to think about your arrival."

The figure didn't let his guard down one bit. "Hey! Take it easy!" he exclaimed. "I am not going to hurt you guys. I'm here by an unexplained reason. And I have no idea why, but I guess if you wanna battle, then I won't be so easy on you."

Red gave him a hard stare, then looked up to TD.

"He's telling the truth, TD. Stand down," he chided. The spheres in TD's hands subsided, but he still gave a guarded expression.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" he demanded.

"My name is Virin," the figure, now known as Virin, replied in an unsteadily way. "I am here to help some folks, that my Discord said were his friends, by defeating some challenge in this world. I've got no idea who that foe might be, but he might be strong to take on a Saiyan like me."

Tempus looked up. "I think he meant that he wanted... Virin to help us take on The Nameless One. But then, who are his friends in this world?"

TD slapped himself. "Discord, you cheeky little..." He sighed and looked to Virin. "By 'friends,' I think your Discord meant his alternate self in this Equestria, along with his friends and family. Which would be us."

Joy understood the situation and sighed in relief. "For a moment... I thought the war had begun..."

He smiled sheepishly at this. Virin tilted his head at what the other human said.

"What war?" he asked them.

"Oh, I think I said that too early, didn't I?" Joy remarked as he looked around toward the others.

"We are at war with one of my greatest enemies, who will be arriving here in roughly a day," TD explained, then extended his hand towards Virin. "The name's TD, short for The Terror of Dimensions. Former villain, Guardian of Existence, husband of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and (currently) Commander-in-Chief of the Equestrian Army."

Virin looked surprised at the name of Twilight, sighing as he extended his own hand and shook TD's. "If that's the case, then I'll be happy to help you out."

"Glad to hear. Now, how exactly did you get here?" TD asked.

* * *

It was a nice, cool, and fresh day in his world of Equestria. On the ground, was a young adult human training by punching the air, producing some gust of wind in the process. His name was Virin. He had a muscular body, with spiky brown hair, and a reddish orange martial arts fighter outfit. He was currently training in order to defeat more foes he's going to face in the future. After the Tournament of Power, it was rather boring without a single battle afterwards.

Suddenly, in a flash of an portal, the Draconequus known as Discord appeared in front of him, with a gleeful glint in his eyes.

"What is it this time, Discord?" Virin asked a little irritated, not happy with him at the moment after sending him to alternate Earth planets throughout the multiverse.

"Oh, you know," Discord replied innocently. "I just wondered if you're up for a nice fight and all."

"You know, I am," Virin gritted through clenched teeth, not happy with the Draconequus.

"Yes, I know," Discord added, "but if you want a challenge, then why not come to an old friend's world of the same name as this one?"

 _A different Equestria?_ Virin thought, rubbing his chin in deep thought. After some more seconds of thinking, he sighed as he nodded cautiously.

"Sure. Why not? That world might bring me a challenge."

Discord smiled in a sinister manner. "Knew you were going to accept the proposition!"

He clapped his hands together, before snapping his fingers, and in a quick flash, Virin disappeared from the face of the planet again. Chuckling, Discord disappeared in a flash as well.

* * *

"So basically, your Discord talked you into this," Rainbow Dash summed up.

"Basically," Virin nodded to Rainbow. "He's a cheeky little fella, but he's also a good friend."

"And a good babbysitter too..." Joy snickered.

"Oh?" Virin turned to Joy. "How's that?"

"Well, Joy, much like you, comes from a different Equestria," TD stated. "And in his Equestria, Discord is often the babysitter of his foals."

Virin turned his head to TD. "Foals? How come a human has foals?"

"Well, why not?" Joy asked in disbelief "Do the humans of your world not have any young ones?"

"Well, I have no other humans on my Equestria," Virin started. "Plus, I haven't started marrying the one that I love yet...we're just close friends at the moment."

"Oh," Joy nodded "In my case, I realized that me and my dear wife can fortunately have foals... even we wasn't sure at first that this would be possible for us, as we do belong to different species."

Pinkie suddenly bounced forward, her disguise not placed up so her Changeling features were visible to all.

"Ooo! Who is the special somepony?" she asked.

"Um..." Virin was a bit startled at Pinkie. "...Twilight Sparkle..."

TD groaned while Tempus laughed a bit.

"Why are there so many OC x Twilight ships?!" TD shouted up at the sky. Several laughs were heard from his friends as the alicorn in question walked forward.

"Don't worry. My husband has seen a lot of alternate versions of me in a different scenario," she said.

"And before you get any ideas darling, she's not your Twilight," Rarity added.

Virin grunted. "I knew that..."

"Well... now you're here to help us during the battle, so I guess it'd be good if you know who we're gonna stand against, right?" Joy suggested.

"Well," Virin began, "as I currently have no idea who the foe is, or how he got here for that matter, I guess I'd like a summary on what I'll be fighting against."

TD smiled. "I can do that." He looked to Red and Bill. "Bill, I need you back at HQ. Red, you can let them know that it's all cool."

Red nodded and then took off, his voice ringing out like a megaphone... somehow.

"False alarm everyone! He's a friendly," Red called out, as Bill rushed off towards Canterlot. TD shook his head in amusement.

"So, if you really want to know who we're fighting, follow us please," Tempus said, as they all started back to the palace. Virin followed them into the palace, curiosity taking over him. He wished to know more about his opponent, and from how everyone apparently treated it, this enemy sounded serious.

Oh, if he only knew...

* * *

Red gave a sigh out of nervousness as he looked out to the oceans before him. He knew that the figures he was looking for would be found along the coast, but he didn't know where to look. After all, he hadn't seen them for over ten years; something that wasn't exactly his fault. Due to how his world's time worked and Equestria's as well, it made visits rather difficult. Still, he had visited- or rather, he had Sonata visit them; they still didn't like him as much. And now, he personally was going to call on them.

"Please don't kill me for pulling this on you," he muttered to himself, then he sang out a short song, his voice somehow mimicking the voices of the ones he was calling.

 **Red:** _Whoa! Whoa!  
You didn't know that you fell.  
Whoa! Whoa!  
Now that you're under our spell.  
_

 _Blindsided by the beat,  
_ _Clapping your hands, stomping your feet.  
You didn't know that you fell.  
Now you've fallen under our spell._

Far off in a cove of some kind, the two Sirens heard the voice of the hedgehog and looked towards each other.

"Guess, he's here... again," Adagio said.

"Let's see what's he up to," Aria continued as they both floated towards the source of the song. Red smirked as he noticed the two Sirens approaching him from the cliffside he stood on and chuckled.

"Ah, Adagio! Aria! Good to see you again, old friends," he greeted, knowing full well that it would probably annoy them. They never did like him too much. They noticed that their sister wasn't with him at the time, then Adagio stared at the hedgehog and spoke bitterly.

"Get to the point!" she hissed.

"Nice to see you too," Red chuckled, then got serious. "We need your help. Tomorrow, we're expecting an attack from someone on this world. He will kill you as much as he'll kill everyone else, assuming he doesn't enslave you first. So... I'm asking for your help." He got on his knees as he spoke. "Please. My friends and I need all the help we can get."

Adagio and Aria looked towards each other talking in some sort of signals only they would understand and then looked back to hedgehog.

"Well, we don't have anything to do with ponies, or any other creatures mind you..." Aria spoke. "And I'm pretty sure we can protect ourselves, so..."

Her response was very clear to Red, but Adagio was still silent. Red frowned.

"I see I need more motivation," he remarked as he stood to his feet. "How about this; your sister and your niece are both helping me and my friends by fighting on the front lines. They're putting their lives on the line to make sure others will live." He looked them dead in the eye as he finished. "If you don't help us, then you may never see your sister alive again before she goes into battle."

Aria was about to say something while Adagio signaled her to stop. Then she sighed.

"Look...this is for Sonata and Serena," she said to Aria. "You know we would never let something happen to her..."

Aria huffed and then her expression saddened. "I... I know." She spoke.

Adagio looked towards Red again and smirked, "Tell your friends they can count on us... Pin-cushion."

Red gave her a genuine smile. "You know, I missed you calling me that. I really have."

"Oh, so you like that..." Adagio said and then her expression became more serious in a moment. "Tell us, what we need to do now..."

Red's smirk returned. "You know, I was hoping you'd ask..."

* * *

 **I based TD's experience with a baby chick on an actual experience I had with my chickens while growing up as a child in my first home (I've moved to at least three different states in the US my whole life). What had happened was that, for one reason or another, the chick had stopped breathing or had trouble breathing, and it conveniently had happened while I was holding it. It was a sad experience for me, especially since it died shortly after and there was nothing I could do about it. All I did was tweak it a bit for the flashback so the chick died from a different cause, yet still seemed to have died by the other.**

 **And yes, I didn't feel too attached to the chickens on my farm nor was I a stranger to the fact that we KILLED and ATE them. I was well aware of both, despite my age (about 7-8 years old), and thus I wasn't as attached to them as, say, my pet cats I had at the time.**

 **Song used: "Under Our Spell" from _EQG: Rainbow Rocks_**

 **Big thanks to _Admirer Boy,_ _Daniel4760, and Darkstalker728_ for helping out! ****Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll cya in the next one! Peace out!**


	5. The Battle Has Begun

**A few things I didn't address in the last chapter that I want to address here: Bold Heart, Joy's oldest son, has a speaking problem he was born with and as such has trouble pronouncing the letter "r" in his dialogue. That's why you'll usually see an "l" in a word where the "r" should have been. For example, he'd say "allight" instead of "alright", or "bettel" instead of "better."**

 **Also, it was brought to my attention that none of the heroes seemed to question that Virin was a Saiyan, courtesy of Virin's own author. My explanation is that, at this point in time, neither TD nor his friends would really question it, as they've seen or heard of many strange and bizarre things by now.**

 **With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! And just to warn you all... LONG READ AHEAD!**

* * *

Sunny sighed deeply as she saw the sun rising from the east, while she was sitting on a cloud which was floating above the gardens. She was feeling so upset about the current situations.

"I just wanna see everything alright again..."

Below her, there was a sudden snapping sound, followed by a startled yelp and a thud. A voice drifted up to her.

"Man, dad makes it look so easy!" The voice said. "Why can't it be that easy for me?"

She looked below towards where the sound had come from. Below her, muttering to himself as he picked himself up, was a black alicorn who had a dark violet mane and tail. He glanced around, his wings flapping before folding flat against his back.

"Anypony here?" He called. "Dad? Mom?"

Sunny gave the alicorn colt a curious look, before she made a giggle and then called him. "Hey, up here!"

Looking up, he saw a pegasus mare with a yellow coat and light brown mane, who was smiling at him. The alicorn blinked, before taking to the air, flying up and hovering in front of her. Now that he was closer, she could see he had dark green eyes, and his cutie mark was a black rose, whose petals were surrounded by white fire.

"Hi. My name's Mortem," the alicorn said, introducing himself as he held out a hoof. "What's yours?"

"My name's Sunlight Bolossom, or Sunny for short..." she smiled, placing a hoof on her chest and fledged open her wings. "Were you looking for somepony?" she asked with a little concern. "Are you lost?"

"Well, I was hoping to appear near my father..." Mortem said, embarrassingly rubbing his neck. "But I'm newer to jumping between worlds than him and managed to overshoot location-wise, I think."

"Oh, so you're also from another Equestria." Sunny made a thoughtful expression as she realized this. "Now don't tell me, hmm... Your father is here to fight a monster along with his friend, right?"

"Yeah, he is," Mortem said, smiling. "My dad's the coolest! He'll make the monster wish they hadn't ever been born! And then he could probably make that happen, cause he can do stuff with time and life and death!" He exclaimed, doing a flip in the air.

"Oh, I see," Sunny said as she realized that the colt was talking about Prince Tempus, the Prince of Time, Life and Death. "Your dad is pretty cool. My dad would finish those monsters before they'd know what happened, and know that once he's angry, there is no stopping him," Sunny said with a proud smile.

"Your dad sounds pretty cool too!" Mortem remarked before adding sheepishly, "Any extra room on that cloud? My wings are getting tired."

"Oh, why not?" Sunny gave her own sheepish smile as she backed off a few steps making some space for him. He smiled slightly as he landed, stretching his wings out before folding them flat against his back.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her.

"Ah, no problem," Sunny replied.

"So, what is your dad like?" Mortem asked, trying to start a conversation.

"My dad is a... what was the word...? a human," Sunny replied. "You know what a human is, right?"

"Yeah! Kind of like my dad's friend Michael!" Mortem said, smiling. "Just... without the wings!"

"Oh, but he can grow wings at will..." Sunny explained. "But usually, yeah he's without wings."

She gave a smile and shrugged after saying that.

"Cool! He sounds awesome!" Mortem said, smiling widely.

"Mmhmm," Sunny nodded and then suddenly they heard the voice of her brother.

"Sunny!" Looking down she noticed that Bold was calling her. "Mom is calling us to the palace."

"Okay Bold," she answered. "We'll be there in a while."

"We?" Bold asked in confusion. Mortem looked over the edge of the cloud, smiling at Bold.

"Hi!" he said.

"Hi," Bold greeted. "Umm... who are you?"

"Prince Mortem. Son of Prince Tempus and Princess Starlight," Mortem replied.

"Mortem, this is my little brother, Bold Heart," Sunny said as she hovered above the cloud. "I guess your father is in the palace as well, so let's go."

"Okay!" Mortem said as he lifted off, hovering above the cloud as well. "You first; I insist."

"Alright, so generous, aren't you?" Sunny smiled as she flew down towards her brother. Mortem smiled slightly as he flew down after Sunny.

"My father taught me to always treat mares with respect. So that's what I always try to do," he said in way of explanation.

Bold looked towards him before he smiled and said, "You bettel do that..."

"Bold!" Sunny gave light giggle at this. Bold just gave a smile as they walked towards the entrance of the palace. Mortem chuckled as he walked along beside them.

"Bold, I can promise you I will always treat Sunny well and with the respect she deserves," he said, shaking his wings out slightly before folding them back again. Bold gave him a seemingly wary look before he gave a small chuckle.

"Allight, I can trust you..." Bold said. "Now, let's hurry..."

Suddenly, Winter floated over to them and gave a neigh.

"There you are!" he exclaimed to Sunny and Bold. "The adults have been looking all over for you! The invasion is about to begin in the next two hours and they need to know where everyone is at." He then noticed Mortem. "What are you doing here?"

Mortem blinked, the sight of the Windago not seeming to startle him one bit.

"I just decided I was bored in my world and wanted to come and join my father," He said matter-of-factly.

Winter sighed. "Well, guess there's not much I can do about that. Come with me, please. All of you."

He started down the halls towards the throne room, the three of them in tow.

"Well, so much for casual talks..." Sunny muttered to herself. Mortem grunted in agreement, a habit he had picked up from his father.

"I can't be certain, but I think I'm about to get yelled at," he muttered. "I guess my ability to see the future is limited to random flashes of possibilities and feelings."

* * *

Once in the throne room, they found the majority of those who had been called as well as the children all gathered together. As expected, TD had made the throne room big enough to house everyone present so there was more than enough room to move about. In one corner, where Winter was leading them, Sunshine, Aqua, and Sandflower were standing together as if assembled specifically for that reason. TD watched them enter from his place next to Celestia's throne and chuckled.

"Thank you, Winter," he said. "Now, are we all here?"

"Chuckie's still at the hive!" Pinkie called up. "I think he's checking on Cindy."

"Cindy doesn't need anyone to check on her," Red commented. "But I guess we can't wait on him."

Tempus suddenly snorted, his eyes narrowing as he took a deep breath.

"Mortem..." the alicorn began in a dangerously low voice. "What the hay are you doing here?"

Mortem chuckled nervously, smiling uncertainly. "H... hi to you too Dad..." He managed to say, stammering slightly. Meanwhile, Bubble and Joy sighed in relief to see all three of their children were safe and sound.

"It's not too safe to stay out you know?" Bubble said to Sunny. "You should be more careful..."

"Let's get back to the business at hand." Michael said, flaring his wings slightly. "As of now, we have..."

He glanced at Red, waiting for the hedgehog to give them how long until their enemies arrived.

"Oh... That'd be roughly about two hours, fifteen minutes and ten seconds," Red remarked. He was writing something at super speeds in a journal of some kind he was holding.

"Well, that's alarming..." Sunny said with a gasp. "Even I can't see the future! I can tell that's gonna be terrible..."

"Thank you Red," The Pyrunian said, before continuing. "Tempus has said to me in private that he cannot see the outcome of the upcoming battle, but through combining his ability to see the future with his ability to sense death, he has informed me that there will be deaths during it."

Tempus nodded gravely. "I can't tell who dies, or where they die, but I know that there will be deaths," The alicorn prince added. "Everyone here, minus the children, understand the risks? There is a chance that some of us here will not come out of this alive."

 **"We all understand,"** Phantom Void remarked, the alicorn son of Sombra looking about the room. **"But it's one we're willing to take."**

"We've faced Herobrine and his mobs, ClearSHC, and anything else you've thrown at us Tempus," the Crystal Shard of Tempus's world said, the Harmony Axe strapped to her back. "Task force Omega is ready and waiting for this new challenge."

"So are all of us..." Joy said in reassurance. Everyone in the room looked towards each other, with some hearts filling with the bitter feeling of sadness, no one could help this situation. Red stopped writing in the journal just then, having reached the last page.

"Well, now that's what I call a work of art!"

"What did you write even?" Twilight asked.

"I think Evan will find it handy," he replied. "Come, Evan. It's a gift for you."

"I'm here!" In a second Evan was standing beside the hedgehog. "What is it? A journal?"

Red handed the journal to Evan. "It's a written copy of all the information in your original book," he explained. "I had a skim through it a few times before I rescued you on Nameless's ship. It's not much, but... please take it."

"Well, thanks... that's all I can say," Evan said. "I can work with this, until I get back my original book."

"Anything for a friend," Red stated with a smile. Evan nodded before he disappeared from that place and in a moment was standing beside TD and the others. Michael nodded, looking at TD.

"Do we have any plans on how we will deploy our forces for this battle?" he asked.

TD nodded. "I've got my methods of deploying troops to the locations they are needed at. We're using everything at our disposal: trains, roads, teleportation gates, even having me, Discord, and anyone with our level of power teleporting them personally."

"I just hope it'll be enough," Celestia said with a sigh. "I... feel that this may be my last time as a ruler to the subjects I've grown to love..."

TD placed a hand comfortingly on the princess's shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Tia," he reassured. "We'll hold out."

Blade just stared blankly. "Anyways... I need anyone to equip 3 of the 4 armors that i created," Blade spoke to everyone.

Michael unsheathed the Sword of Death placing the tip on the ground and leaning on the handle. A icy blue shimmer ran down the blade along with an inky black one.

"Will you have Sunrise taking command of the troops he has trained?" The Pyrunian asked, nodding towards where the white pegasus stood in his armor, spear strapped to his back.

"Yes. Sunrise, I hope your troops are ready," TD remarked.

Sunrise grinned. "They're ready. Plus, I have the Royal Guard from my Equestria to reinforce my ranks," the pegasus said.

Virin, still, looked confused at the moment what was going on.

"Why are you guys getting ready? I'm not going to go with armor, as it's not my thing. But, if you guys go with that, I guess I'll just have my Saiyan powers with me into the fighting, then."

"We're in a war. Was that not obvious?" Red stated.

"Red, be polite," Bill chided.

"I know that," Virin grumbled at Red. "Still, though, why the hurry? It's not like the villain is gonna pop up as soon as possible."

TD looked over to Virin with a dead serious look.

"Do not underestimate The Nameless One," he warned. "He managed to conquer entire galaxies and put people with powers like my own to shame. We have every right to hurry."

"Why should I underestimate him?" Virin gave a low groan. "Ugh, he should be the one not to underestimate me."

"Two hours is not much time," Red agreed. "And no Nightblade, you're not chopped liver. If you want to give some armor to someone, let the kids have them."

"Red, how adle-brained are you?" Diego demanded.

"I dunno. I could probably do some damage with that," Sunshine spoke for her uncle.

Blade thought for a minute and then nodded. "Sure I'll give them the armor," he said with a smile.

Tempus snorted. "I agree with Diego. I will not allow my son to fight."

"Dad, I can handle myself!" Mortem said, glaring at his dad. "I did fine without your assistance when we faced Thunderstrike before he was reformed!"

"And I'm still a kid too!" Ruby shouted, the Remnant girl's scythe instinctively being pulled out. "Does that mean I have to stand back too? Even if I am a Huntress?"

"Ruby," Weiss began, but TD stopped her.

"Sadly, Ruby has a point," TD noted. "She's young herself, yet she's out on the front lines in her world, fighting to make sure others are kept safe."

"Ya ain't seriously gonna let the kids fight, are ya?" Applejack demanded.

"Well AJ, I sure as Tartarus ain't gonna let them stand back," TD remarked.

"TD, you can't be serious!" Tempus said, glaring at his friend. "My son has only ever been in a fight once! And he was wielding the Element of death at that time! I can't allow him to fight!"

"Dad, for once in my life, let me choose what I want to do!" Mortem yelled suddenly, glaring daggers at his father. "I've had it with you always having to keep me away from danger! I'm old enough to help out! So let me!"

The room was silent for a moment, then it was Bill who spoke.

"He has a fair point. You can't keep him sheltered forever," he pointed out. "And if he wants to help in some manner... let him help."

"But what about the younger ones?" Celestia asked, although they all knew that she was mostly referring to Sunshine.

"I have a few jobs they can do to help out," TD stated. "Mostly non-combatant ones, but I say that it'll help immensely."

"Like what?" Twilight asked.

"Like relaying messages, helping with the sick and wounded... stuff like that," TD answered.

Virin looked noticeably surprised at Tempus, smiling at him.

"You know," he said. "You remind me of me when I sometimes scold my adoptive daughter, Scootaloo, for every one of her adventures. Though, sometimes, I can be harsh to her, yes, but other times, I'm being gentle and kind to her to let her go on her quest of finding her Cutie Mark with her friends. Maybe you should just give him one chance at this."

With a sigh, Tempus nodded

"Fine... you can fight Mortem," the alicorn said.

Mortem grinned as he took to the air, doing a quick flip before landing again. "Thanks Dad! I won't let you down!"

Michael glanced at TD. "I can help with getting wounded off the battlefield if I have a location that I can teleport them to."

"Wait a minute," TD's Scootaloo looked to Virin. "You adopted me back in your Equestria?!"

Virin turned to Scootaloo with a kind smile. "Yes," he said. "You, or should I say she, is one of my prized loved ones, whom I hold so dear to me. Yes, I have Twilight, my mother and father, along with the other pony friends that I've made on my Equestria, but my life is in the dragons of my birth planet, Earth. My kin has been through harsher things than anything before coming to my Equestria, so much you won't be enough to tell from experience."

"What about me dad?" Bold asked to Joy. "I'm also a teenagel now... and I can't just sit and watch you fight."

At this, Joy looked towards TD as if asking for an opinion while his eyes were clearly saying, " _I really don't wanna say yes, but I don't know if I can say no either..._ "

"Joy, are you...?" Bubble wanted to speak, but went silent for some reason.

"This wouldn't be the first time we've had recruits as young as Bold, if not younger," Bill remarked. "How old do you think some of your men are, Sunrise? We've been recruiting from all over. In fact, some of you have fought alongside someone who may have been as younger or younger than Bold during the Crossover."

"What?" T-bone asked. "When?"

Red gave them a smirk. "Red Team... you probably knew him as The Master Chief."

Sunrise took off his helmet, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Well, there are a few young recruits in the Royal Guard from my world... how old are you Bold?" The pegasus asked, looking at him with his piercing blue eyes.

"I'm fifteen yeals old, and a few months maybe." Bold spoke with confidence, while due to his issue with speaking he couldn't help but sound a little cute. Sunrise nodded his head, before glancing at Bill.

"He's old enough to be a recruit into the Royal Guard." The pegasus said. "Personally, I don't see anything wrong with him fighting."

"I knew that would happen," TD chuckled, feeling a bit humored with all this.

At this, Virin turned his head to TD, asking, "And how did you know that?"

"Let's just say, this wouldn't be the first time," TD answered.

Bold smiled with pride as he looked towards his father. Joy wasn't looking so glad at his decision, but he sighed and went towards his son, and grabbed him in a hug.

"I know you're a brave colt my dear son, I... am, proud of you," Joy said to him while wiping a few tears.

"Thanks dad..." Bold replied. "I'll tly my best..."

Sunrise trotted up beside Bold, looking down at the colt, before looking at Joy.

"I'll keep an eye on him, I promise," the pegasus said.

"Thank you..." That's all Joy said in reponse as Bubble nodded with reassurance.

"Uncle William," Sunny spoke. "I will also help during the war..." She took a deep breath and then looked towards Mortem and then her parent who were standing beside her little brother, giving her a look of question. "I know I can't fight, but... I may help in other ways..." She looked towards TD once again. "Can't I?"

TD smiled. "Yes, you can help too. I won't stop you." He then looked up and said aloud for all, "And for the record, I feel the same level of worry for anyone's children; I'm just better at not showing that sometimes."

"Until you start to cry," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Watch it, Dash," Rarity scolded; a rare occurrence for her to stand up for TD publicly.

"So," Virin started. "How much time left?"

"I'd say we took up at least a half hour," Red stated. "I'd better tell Phantom Squad to get into position. On that note, I'm proud to announce that we've officially added at least one of each pony species to their ranks since I was called here."

"Wow, that was... fast," Bill admitted.

"Yeah, but just a fair warning... Sunrise, one of them might've been one of your Royal Guards," Red noted. "Sorry if that's a problem, but if they want to be recruited and they pass the tests, I let them into the squad."

Sunrise made a sour face, before sighing as a wry grin spread across his face.

"I think I set a bad example for them when I went from just being a captain of the Royal Guard to marrying Princess Celestia." He said, causing his Celestia to giggle. "So it's fine."

"Good to know," Red nodded, then TD's Celestia stood from her throne.

"Since this may be our last time seeing each other alive, I'd like to say a few words," she announced, and they could see the tears forming as she spoke. "Thank you all so much for your help. It... means a lot to me and to all of Equestria."

"Ah, don't cry, Tia," TD said gently. "You're gonna make me cry too."

Virin stared at her with expressionless blue eyes. "I'm glad to be helping out, Princess."

Tempus raised his head as he smiled at TD's Celestia.

"Tia, this world became a second home to me because of my time spent here," he said softly. "I would never stand to see it fall. I always help my family." He glanced around the room. "Just so you all know, as of right now, I consider everyone in this room a part of my family. If you ever want to visit my world after this, I will gladly welcome you."

Rubbing his chin in thought, Virin smiled at Tempus. "I'll be considering the idea, friend."

"TD, Twilight, Princess Celestia and everypony else..." Joy spoke up. "I just wanna say, if this is the last time we see each other..." He took a sigh. "I just wanna say that there is no better way to die for me than to die for ones you call your friends..." He wiped some tears. "And for the record, I really mean that."

"I wanna say something as well..." Bubble spoke to Joy. "I don't know, and I really don't, but if this will be last time we'll be seeing each other, I just wanna say that... I've cherished every moment of our life together, and even if something happens to... to tear us apart..." She suddenly gave a whine. "Then promise me... you'll not give up hope..."

Joy put a finger on her lips.

"Not a word more..." Joy said, giving her a affectionate hug. "I understand, and I... I promise... I'll never let that happen..."

"Promise me..." Bubble whispered.

"Okay... I promise..." Joy said, stroking her mane as he gave him a kiss on forehead. Tempus smiled as a tear rolled down his face, before he sniffed and ducked his head.

"Trying not to cry right now," he said, his voice thick with emotion. His Starlight walked up beside him, spreading a wing across his back. Michael let out a grunt, standing up straight as he sheathed the Sword of Death, trying to act like he wasn't getting emotional even though there were tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Well, I feel that the waterworks may come a little faster among my family, once I call in the Aunties," Red remarked.

"Dad, they're all here," Serena stated, to which Red gave her a bigger smirk.

"Not quite all," he said. His daughter's eyes lit up in surprise.

"You mean...?" she began. As soon as she had started, the "aunties" in question entered the room themselves. These were the aunties of Serena Dusk: Adagio, and Aria, the sisters of Sonata Dusk. Blinking in surprise, Virin hummed as he spoke up.

"Hey there," he greeted the Sirens. Tempus raised his head, blinking once before shrugging.

"Like I've said before, even though I can't see the outcome of the battle coming up doesn't mean I'm completely blind to the future." He muttered. "I saw..."

"Yes, we get it." His Starlight said, interrupting him. "For once though, why don't you just act like this is a genuine surprise?"

Tempus stared at his wife for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open in shock. As soon as Adagio noticed the hedgehog and their sister, she smiled.

"We're here... Sonata," Adagio spoke as she looked towards her sister and then towards her niece. "It's nice to see you, Serena..."

"Aunt Adagio and Aria!" the younger Siren rushed to her aunts and gave them a big hug. "I missed you!"

"I'm not... gonna cry..." Red struggled while smiling.

"I missed you too..." Adagio said, returning the hug while Aria didn't say anything until after a few seconds.

"Alright, enough of the hugging okay..." Aria snapped rudely. Serena let go of them, though she didn't take Aria's words harshly. Due to some of the powers she possessed, she knew Aria truly did care for her even if she didn't show it.

"Sisters!" Sonata gave them a hug next. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Watch out, babe. Aria looks embarrassed," Red quipped.

"What are you talking about!" Aria asked the hedgehog. "Why would I be embarrassed...?"

Adagio just rolled her eyes and replied to what Sonata said.

"It's good to see you too Sonata, it really is."

Michael grunted once more, before he tilted his head to one side, his eyes narrowing slightly before widening. Glancing towards TD, he jerked his head towards an empty area of the room.

 _"TD, we need to talk. Now."_ The Pyrunian's voice hissed in the chaotic entity's head. _"I may have some good news."_

TD sighed. "I'll be back, people," he said and followed Michael over to that side of the room.

Virin looked over to the others, eyeing suspiciously at them. "Anyone telling me why TD needed to follow Michael?"

The Pyrunian began speaking, his voice low as to not be heard.

"Remember Dark Enchanter? After he reformed, he left Tempus and mine Equestria, claiming he knew the location of several Pyrunian outposts that were a secret that Pyrus took to its grave," he said. "I just got a mental message from him. He's found two, and they have ships, weapons, and soldiers. I told him what we're up against, and he says he'll try to get here as soon as he can, but it'll be a while. They won't be here in time for this battle."

TD nodded. "I see. No need to get their hopes up for forces that won't show. Tell them when they get here to assist what resistance we may have left."

"Ahem!" Twilight called over to them.

"Sorry Twi!" TD called back, then to Michael, "Let's get back to business."

Michael nodded, before grinning.

"After you William," he said.

TD walked up to the group. "I think we've delayed this for long enough. We need to get a move on."

"Drat. And right when I thought these two were warming up to me," Red whined while looking to the other two Sirens. Sonata glanced between them and giggled.

"You're still sore towards him?" she asked in amusement.

"No, at least not me..." Adagio replied and looked towards Aria, who in a moment broke to tears and spoke.

"Are you kidding us Sonata?!" she exclaimed. "I may have been always a little rude to your pointy friend, but I never had a grudge over you. Never!"

"I know you never did," Sonata answered, then started to cry a little as she hugged them tighter. "If this is our last time together... I want you to know that I love you both so much!"

"We... we love you too Sonata..." Adagio said, giving a tearful smile. Meanwhile, Virin began to think of everything he had been through up to this point.

 _After fighting so many people at the Tournament of Power, I think this'll be the last thing I want to do. But, no matter what, I will win the battle with the allies I've made in this world. Twi, mother, father, I'll just say that I love you. If this is truly my final battle, then this'll be a good one, too._

"Oh how do you do, young Willie Mcbride. Do y'mind if I sit here down by your graveside..." Chuck hummed grimly as he arrived at where the others were. He was a man of little faith from the get-go, and even less faith in this cause. TD gave him a bit of a glare, while Red decided to get a bit more personal.

"Gareth Murphy Pie, where have you been, ya lazy bum?!" the hedgehog demanded.

"That's Chuck Pie to you, Pricky," He replied, not having it. "And if you must know, I've been spending some time to myself; a Shabbat if you will."

"Oh come on! Have a little more spring into your step, sir!" Cindy scolded, the AI walking into the room via Red's special suit he had made specifically for Chuck many years ago. "The least you could do is TRY to fight for the lives of your family."

"Since when have I ever been known for having a spring in my step?" the monarch replied, somewhat bitterly yet correct albeit.

Virin blinked, not getting him one bit. "Why is he so carefree...?"

"My master hates combat," Cindy remarked. "Well, actually, he's not really even my true master."

"You know Cindy, sometimes I wonder if you've taught Chuck anything about combat," Red stated.

"Not really. I've been doing most the work. Unless you count running away," Cindy answered.

That joke was enough to gave some of a good chuckle, if the situation weren't so grave right then.

"Well, so can we count on him?" Bold asked to seemingly lighten up the tension. "...for not running away this time."

"Anyone else wanna take a jab at me before I begrudgingly die alongside you schmucks?" Chuck droned, not enthused.

"Chuck, it's either you fight and make this world safe, or you die and your family dies too," Bill Prower remarked. "Either way, chances of survival are not looking too hot. The difference is that in one you're actually trying to stop some maniac from destroying our homes."

"Besides, who doesn't like a good fight now and then?" Cindy asked. At the sight of a lot of raised hooves or hands, she grumbled, "Right. Should've thought about that..."

"Did you not hear me say 'begrudgingly die alongside you?', that means I'm helping," he replied.

Virin gave him a small grin. "I'm glad you decided to help us, Chuck. We could use the help for all available."

"Well, that's reassuring..." Evan muttered to himself. TD looked about suddenly as he seemed to detect something outside.

"William, what is it?" Tempus asked him.

"They're coming here... to Canterlot..." he muttered.

Virin looked a bit surprised, as he heard the mutter of TD. "They seriously are...?"

Evan sighed and nodded grimmly. "I guess so, I can feel that, HE's with him."

"Who's with him?" TD asked.

 _"Your abandoned son, William,_ _"_ Evan looked at TD as he heard him speaking telepathically.

TD looked very disturbed to hear that, and it was clear for all to see. But instead of answering about that, he simply started out of the room, calling out orders.

"Everyone to their posts! Noncombatants, stand by for medical support and ammo resupplies or the like. And no Chuck, you do not count as a noncombatant. Get into your suit."

"Yikes! He can be pretty bossy when he has to be," Rainbow Dash commented as she followed him out.

"You have no idea," Twilight replied to her friend.

"Nag, nag, nag," Chuck droned as he approached the suit. "Gee Cindy, I really thought we were tight, but after all that you said, I feel it may damage our friendship," he teased.

"Don't make me eject you into the middle of a crowd of baddies, Chuck," she answered in just as much of a teasing tone as the suit opened up to allow him access. He climbed in with an albeit reluctant huff.

"Sometimes, I can never tell if you mean those things," he replied. "But hey, I can't gripe. You make me obnoxiously over powered," he quipped.

"Bubs, my sweetheart..." Joy said as he held her hoof "Looks like the time has come," he took a sigh "Wish me luck, I need this."

At this, Bubble grabbed him in a hug, but didn't said anything else. Just a silent, affectionate, and tight hug with some sobs before she released him and suddenly gave him a short and passionate kiss.

"Take care," she said as she caressed her hoof on his cheek.

"I will," He reassured her. "I will."

Cindy made a small sigh as she watched the two of them.

"You know Chuck, sometimes I wish I could have a sweetheart of my own," she commented. "I don't know how in the world that would work, but... yeah."

"There's someone out there for everyone. What are you into? I've got a nice HP Laptop back home I could set you up with, or are you more of a smartphone type?" Chuck quipped to Cindy. "But, in all seriousness, I'm sorry for you," he consoled.

"Eh, I've learned to roll with it," Cindy managed.

Virin sighed as he didn't had someone to assure to. "Well, guess that's it, then."

"Hey Virin!" Scootaloo called out to the Saiyan, waving a hoof. "Why don't you tag along with me?"

"Hm?" Virin looked at the young pegasi. "For what reason, Scoots?"

"Well, you seem a bit down, so I thought we could chat," she said with a shrug. Virin rubbed his chin for a moment, before giving a shrug of his own.

"Sure. Why not? It might give me a little assurance."

"I still don't feel comfortable with you being on the front lines, Applejack," Rarity commented as they trotted outside with the group. "I mean, what about your foal?"

"Ah've made my choice, and Ah'm not gonna stand back all helpless like," the country pony stated.

"Then at least take some form of childcare, AJ," TD called to her and then snapped his fingers. When he did, a flash of light engulfed her for a split second and then disappeared.

"Uh, what was that?" she asked.

"Basically, as long as it's unborn, your foal is now indestructible," TD answered.

"Huh. That'll do it," she managed. "Thanks."

Virin was currently taking a talk with Scootaloo. "So, what would you like to talk about? Anything will be fine."

"Well... how's your Scootaloo?" she asked. "Has she found her Cutie Mark yet?"

Virin gave her a small nod. "I'm thinking, that she indeed has found her Cutie Mark. It took her quite a long time, but otherwise, all of her experiences has paid off."

"That's awesome!" Scootaloo cheered, then asked, "Can she fly yet? Or is she still too young?"

"Well, technically in a lot of cases-" Red started, but then Bill cut him off.

"Red, it's best not to say," he remarked. "It'll crush her dreams knowing-"

"That I was never expected to fly?" Scootaloo finished, startling the two Mobians. "Well, I've known about that for a while, yet here I am now. Perhaps the second best flyer in Equestria!"

"Second?" several voices asked.

"Rainbow Dash takes first place every time," she explained.

Virin gave Scootaloo a nod of his head again. "She indeed has the ability to fly. It's been a wonderful experience to see her fly for the first time when she had come to age."

Scootaloo gave a smile. "I knew she's make it to the butterfly stage."

Giving her a small laugh, Virin smiled at the pegasus. "I'm curious, though. How long did it take you to get airborne? If you have the ability, that is."

"Well, it actually took until I was maybe thirteen or fourteen before I started flying," Scootaloo admitted. "But Rainbow Dash kept encouraging me and pushing me, and absolutely refused to give up on me!" She smiled. "Without her, I'd probably still be grounded."

Virin gave her a knowing look. "My Rainbow was almost the same, but in a kinder way than pushing my adopted daughter. I was rather glad that she didn't push her around, otherwise I'd probably had scolded her for it."

Scootaloo laughed. "Not that kind of pushing! I meant like telling me I could do better and to keep hard at it."

"Think of me as her coach back then," Rainbow Dash suggested.

"I meant that," Virin groaned.

"TD, I've given the Siren Song Armor to Serena," Blade said to TD as they walked along.

"And what does that do? Please lemme know before my daughter gets hurt!" Red demanded.

"The Siren Armor W will create massive shockwaves and soundwaves. Also controls Water and Ice," Blade explained to Red.

"Oh... That works," he admitted.

"He did a great job with it!" the Siren in question cheered as she admired her form with the armor on.

"I like it," Winter piped up. "Makes you look... tough and beautiful at the same time."

Serena blushed when she heard that.

"Well, that's great..." Evan smiled. "Even in such situations when war is literally at our doorstep..." Then he sighed and spoke to TD in his mind. _"_ _William, be right back in a moment, I need to see somepony as well."_

 _ _"Be back in time,"_ _TD answered.

"Well I haven't got any time to give the other two Armors, so I just randomly chose," he said.

"How about you give one of them to my son?" Joy asked to Blade.

"I'll give your son the Python X," Blade smiled.

"Gleat!" Bold exclaimed "Tell me, what does that do?"

"The Python X Armor can transform into any creature: Dragons/Manticores/Hydra/Etc. and it has the ability to phase through solid objects," Blade explained to Joy Star. Joy nodded at this and looked towards Bold.

"Got it," Bold exclaimed "It's so cool."

"And last, but not least, The Bahamut Y... But the armor is too big to control," Blade confessed.

At last, they all were assembled in the streets of Canterlot, as civilians were being evacuated from the city limits by guards. TD got a worried expression upon seeing how many of them were assembled.

"So many innocents," he muttered. "We won't be able to evacuate them all to Ponyville."

Suddenly a burst of confetti appeared nearby and Screwball appeared next to TD.

"Uncle, I know a place we can bring them and maybe set up base later on too!" she suggested. "Remember where you found Aunt Pinkie's old hive?"

TD thought about it, then nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea. Plenty of wilderness and forest expanses to house everyone but also give our enemy much ground to cover. Alright, we'll send them there! And if any of Pinkie's Changelings can lead the way, then do it!"

"I can lead them there. Or at least assemble a group to do it," Chuck nodded.

"You're not going to have me miss out on all the fun, that's for sure!" Cindy exclaimed; she really had an unhealthy love for combat.

"Alriight Chuck, get the group to lead them, then all hands on deck!" TD shouted, then added, "Or hooves, or claws, or... you get the picture!"

"Task Force Omega!" Tempus called out to his alicorn squad. "Get into positions!"

"Phantom Squad," Red called on his coms, "Two of you stay with the civilian convoy and help protect it. The rest of you, keep your eyes peeled."

"I need to go back to the hive and alert my men on the situation," Chuck stated. "Then I'll assemble a team to get refugees to the hive."

"Or you could alert the ones already assembled here," Red suggested.

"Do what you will Chuck, but if you're not back here by the time the fighting starts..." TD warned.

"Relax! I can get us there and back in five minutes flat!" Cindy reassured. "And that's not a joke either. Your call, Master Murphy."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," he told TD and Red. "You've already badgered me into this; the badgering can stop," he said as Cindy ignited her jets. "Alright, let's go."

"Up up and away!" Cindy cheered as they rocketed into the sky.

"And now we wait..." Bill Prower remarked as he sat down. Red did the same, but also brought out a ridiculous picnic blanket and basket, which was full of sandwiches. Virin, knowing the situation of what was about to happen, began to make some exercising. He started to make some push-ups on the ground, as he was a bit bored of nothing right now. Chris raised his arm and tapped the watch he wore, causing a hologram of his suit's helmet to appear.

"Gideon, activate the Mark II and send it to me," he said, and the helmet nodded.

"Right away sir," A male voice said, before the hologram deactivated, and a few seconds later with a metallic thud, his suit landed; although instead of the sleek one he usually wore, this one seemed to have much more weaponry and tech on it.

"It doesn't seem too good? Is it?" Evan asked as he was suddenly standing beside TD.

"Gah!" TD shouted, then hastily added, "No. No it doesn't. But hey, at least some of us are trying to lighten the mood."

He gestured over at Red, who was eating the sandwiches he had packed while sitting on the blanket of his. Scootaloo joined in soon enough, earning raised eyebrows all around, as they did not enjoy seeing Red doing it too much and now she was doing the same thing.

"What?" she protested. "I didn't have lunch today. Besides, this may be my last decent meal."

Tempus raised an eyebrow, before grunting.

"Scootaloo does have a point..." He said reluctantly. Meanwhile, Chris was tinkering with his suit, every so often tapping something on his watch before going back to working on in.

"I remember when my Earth was under attack..." Evan gave a sigh. "If we humans were more united like all you guys… maybe... just maybe... I wouldn't have seen the destruction of my planet when I was just a three year old toddler..."

"I've learned that if you want to unite even old enemies in the defense of your homeworld, all you need is a common foe," TD remarked.

"So in other words, if Nameless attacks the Griffon Kingdom and whatnot, then we'll have more allies," Diego stated.

"That sounds reasonable," Red agreed, still eating his sandwiches. He was doing it in a calm manner, as if there wasn't about to be an invasion. This did earn him some glares from two of the Dazzlings, but they didn't say a word about it.

"Sounds about right." Chris said, brushing his hair out of his face before making a final adjustment to his suit, causing the blasters on the hands to begin to power up, humming, before he tapped his watch again and they shut off.

"Okay, this suit should be good now," The human said, before adding wryly, "Although I wish its test flight wasn't a battle."

"I wish there would never be a battle..." Bubble muttered silently to herself.

"I hear ya, Bubs," Bill stated aloud, then looked to Virin. "Why are you working out?"

Virin, while still doing push-ups, heard what Bill said. "I'm getting ready for the invasion, if it was not obvious. Okay...fifty-five...fifty-six..."

He was now counting up. The sound of thrusters were heard in the distance and Cindy's suit dropped to the ground, presumably with Chuck inside.

"Told you it would take five minutes," she said cheerfully.

"Correction: Four minutes and fifty seconds," Red corrected.

"Really? Huh. I beat my own record," the female AI sounded surprised.

"I've got a group on the way, the citizens will be en route to the hive soon. Space is already being made for shelters," the monarch stated.

Blade wore his Armor. "This will be a long heavy battle," He said, adjusting his Armor. Chris blinked, before glancing at his suit.

"Gideon, run a diagnostics test to see if the weapons systems are online," He said, and the suit powered on, the eye slits glowing white.

"On it sir. Anything else I should check?" The suit asked, and Chris grunted.

"Check the thrusters and the cloaking shield," He said, and the suit nodded its head once. Cindy looked over at Chris's suit.

"Whoa. Who's the new AI?" she asked. "I don't think we ever got introduced."

"That's because you weren't," TD stated bluntly.

"This is Gideon," Chris said as he raised his wrist and tapped his watch, causing the hologram of the suit's helmet to appear. "I created him a long time ago when I created the Mark I suit, which I normally use. However, I decided to create the Mark II suit in order to use Pyrunian technology in the weaponry. So, I programmed it so he'd be in it as well."

"Oh... well, nice to meet you," Cindy answered, activating her own hologram form; a Mobian skunk in a pretty yellow dress. "Name's Cindy. Combat AI, and the first AI on Mobius to have full on emotions and the like."

"Nice to see you too," Gideon replied, before Chris's suit opened up. "Diagnostics test complete sir. Thrusters, Weapons system, and Cloaking system are online."

Virin was still doingsome push-ups, counting rather loudly.

"Nine-hundred ninety-five...nine-hundred ninety-six...nine-hundred ninety-seven...nine-hundred ninety-eight...nine-hundred ninety-nine...one thousand!" He jumped onto his feet, punching the air, produced some gust of wind afterward. "That's a new record."

"How many do you need to do?" Scootaloo inquired, looking to Virin.

Virin, answering Scootaloo, responded, "I needed to do just one thousand. It was a record that I managed to beat my last record of seven hundred from before."

Red suddenly looked to a beeping watch on his arm and winced.

"Oh... looks like Nameless did some kind of jump," he remarked, "Because..."

Suddenly, the sky opened up as a humongous ship appeared in the sky above the planet's atmosphere, several smaller ships appearing below it. They all looked futuristic and each was armed for war. Joy, and Bubble recognized them from the times their world was attacked by the same villain once before.

"He's here," Bill finished, drawing his sword as Red jumped to his feet.

"Sweet mother of me," Celestia gasped. "That's a lot of ships..."

"And each armed to the teeth, no doubt," Luna added. Chris growled, before he stepped into his suit, which closed up as he activated the thrusters. Tempus narrowed his eyes, and Michael snarled as the Pyrunian drew the Sword of Death.

"Well, why don't I introduce our friend to Pyrunian weaponry?" Chris asked as he raised his right arm towards the sky, the blaster powering up. The flaming yellow and orange aura flared around Joy as he transformed into Blazing Star. Two wings sprouted out from his back and a double edged sword appeared in his hands as he started to float above the ground, while Bold was standing beside him in his new Python X Armor.

"Well," Virin started, giving the ships a smirk that looked like he was ready. "IF he's here, then, I'll be needing this!"

He started to yell loudly, as an blue aura was beginning to surround him. His hair changed from brown to blue. Blade equiped his Omega Scythes and got into a battle stance.

"Hmm... you can transform too..." Joy said as he looked towards Virin. "I mean, kind of..."

"It's called 'Super Saiyan Blue'," Virin explained. "It requires me to pull something from within me."

"Oh," Joy said in some confusion. "Alright..."

"Save Dragon Ball Z for those that actually know it!" TD shouted. "Now is not the time!"

"Sorry," Virin apologized to TD. "Let's get back to business!"

Meanwhile, Red was shouting into his coms.

"All teams, report to Canterlot! This is not a drill! Red Team, Phantom Squad, all teams in battle formations!" A hum came from his body and his form transformed into Infinite, the Phantom Ruby humming loudly as he prepared for combat. "Let's give these guys hell."

"Sure!" Joy exclaimed as his aura flared around him. "Let's do this!"

As he spoke, a loudspeaker was heard from one of the ships, perhaps the largest one.

"Equestrians, you are harboring an enemy to our beloved lord and master!" a youthful, but angry voice called out, one that made TD and Zach stiffen in shock.

"No..." TD muttered. "My boy..."

"Surrender over the one who goes by TD now, or your residence will be terminated!" the voice continued.

"That doesn't sound threatening," Virin commented slightly to himself.

"William, you said something?" Joy asked as he heard what he was just muttering.

"Tempus, do I fire?" Chris asked, his voice synthesized by his helmet. Tempus glanced at TD, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Equestrians," the voice started again, but then stopped when a bolt of red lightning suddenly fired from TD's hand and hit the largest ship, causing an explosion that, while looking small, could be seen from where they stood.

"What was that?!" the voice demanded.

"TELL YOUR MASTER THIS!" Celestia commanded in her Royal Canterlot voice, "WE WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO ENTER OUR RESIDENCE, NOR WILL WE SURRENDER OUR FRIEND! NOW BE GONE, LESS WE BE FORCED TO ATTACK!"

Tempus snorted in agreement as his eyes flared silver. Virin grunted before giving an battle ready stance, as he was ready to defend the world from the invaders.

"YOU CAN'T JUST COME HERE AND COMMAND US!" Bubble spoke in her own Canterlot voice. "WHOEVER THE TARTARUS ARE YOU?!"

"YEAH, I'M YELLING TOO!" Pinkie hollered out.

"Oy gevalt." Chuck sighed. The voice was silent, then he answered.

"I am Sir Philip the Fourth, former leader of the Flame Tribe of The Sun, and the heir of the one you call the Terror of Dimensions!" he answered. "Now Commander of the Armies of The Nameless One! Seeing that you won't comply, your world must now burn and its resources be taken to further aid our cause!"

As he finished, hundreds of thousands of blue lights fell from the smaller ships and landed on the ground, revealing themselves as either robots or humans in futuristic armor. They all faced the Equestrians and aimed their rifles or readied their electric laser swords.

"I don't care if I'll get copyrighted for saying this; they're lightsabers. End of story," Red remarked. "Eve if they look slightly different."

"Agreed," Michael growled.

"Alright, now I believe it's safe to say you can fire whenever you wish Chris," Tempus said as he spread his wings, getting ready to charge.

"Understood Tempus," Chris said as he lifted off, the panels of his armor rippling before he disappeared. "I just hope that my advanced-cloaking technology works against them."

"Show them no mercy, as you shall receive none!" TD shouted to be heard by all those present. "Never give up, never surrender!"

"Galaxy Quest reference!" Bill commented as Team RWBY and Diego from Remnant stepped forward beside him, activating their weaponry.

"Just to warn you guys... I can turn into a frightening creature at times, so if you see a large black monster, it's most likely me," Diego warned.

"Huge black monster equals don't kill. Got it!" Blade shouted.

"Ready," Joy nodded as he looked around to his family and those who were standing close to him. Bubble gave a nod at this as well as two of his children Sunny and Bold.

"Let me just..." Bold said as the armor was activated and he was transformed in a dragon almost as large as Sandflower or bigger, with green scales and a white underbelly while a trail of dark green spikes could be seen on his spine. "I guess that'd do..." he nodded.

"You have three seconds to stand down!" the enemy humans called out.

"Got locks on all of them," Cindy stated as the suit's forelegs aimed at the enemy humans along with a mounted minigun and a few rockets. "Ready to fire on your command, sir!"

"Wait for it..." Red ordered.

"Three... two... one...!"

"Zero," TD finished as suddenly the ground beneath them turned to slippery soap suds and they all slipped and fell to the ground. The soap suds disappeared and they heard Screwball shout, "Now!"

"Charge!" Red shouted, rushing headlong into the battle with his friends (at least the melee ones) as more enemies poured down.

"Attack!" Twilight shouted as well.

"For Equestria!" the CMC roared.

There was a crack of thunder, and Thunderstrike flew into the sky as it darkened, and bolts of lightning started to crackle through the air as his horn lit up with lightning. The alicorn flew towards the enemy, lightning crackling around him.

"Attack!" Sunrise shouted as charged with his troops, the pegasus's troops charging behind him.

Tempus took to the air, letting out a battle cry as he shot down towards the enemy with Michael right beside him.

Virin was flying through the air, his hands beginning to be in a formation that looked like he was going to fire something. "KA..." he began to yell loudly, as an blue energy ball was forming in his hands.

Aria then shouted to her sisters, "What are we waiting for? You heard the Pin-cushion! Charge!"

"ME..." Virin was still going on with his attack, his blue energy ball growing a little bigger. "HA...ME..HA!"

He fired his attack on the enemies, as an explosion occurred with blue light.

"Let slip the dogs of war." Chuck said to Cindy.

"Ooh! What type of dogs are they? Beagles? Pugs? Labs? I just love Corgis!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"It's just an expression," Chuck replied, much to the sadness of his wife.

"BE PREPARED!" Joy shouted as he flew towards the enemy with his blazing weapon in his hand, as started to take on them, killing or hurting every enemy who tried to fight him. He grunted with anger as he went through the enemies tropes, almost making a clearing through them. Bold breath out a large ball of fire at the army of enemies.

"Master Murphy, on your nine!" Cindy shouted, abruptly turning the suit towards some flanking enemies and blasted them apart with the suits's miniguns. Blade dashed towards the enemies, then he jumped and threw his Scythe towards the ground.

"SHOCK!" Blade's Scythe created an Electro Shock, making the enemies get stunned. Virin started to fly down to the battlefield, literally punching an enemy human in the face as the human groaned in pain. The blue-haired Saiyan fired some yellow energy balls at the enemy, killing him after the fourth energy ball. Michael yelled as he slammed into the enemy, the Pyrunian swinging his sword as its blade glowed black, slicing through his opponents. Above him, Tempus flew through the air, blasting beams of power at their opponents.

"No mercy today!" Bubble muttered as her horn began to charge violently and her fired a large beam of energy at the enemies.

 _I'll fight to the death alongside Joy, even if that be the last thing I do,_ she thought. With him, Virin was surrounded by four robots.

"Dumb metals," the Saiyan smirked as he started to whirl around while firing energy balls at the robots, destroying them in the process. Blade ran and picked up his Scythe, then he hacked and slashed the robots like they were training dummies.

"SUFFER THE WRATH OF PAIN!" Blade combined his Scythes and slammed them into the ground to create massive spikes on the ground...

Basically, everyone was doing splendidly against their enemies, with the only downside being that the enemy forces kept on coming. Perhaps the most ridiculous fighter out there was Red, who had changed out of his Infinite form and was singing Hoodwink's "Be Prepared" song as he fought, often posing and even making himself seem to be an open target.

"I knew he'd pull that off," TD chuckled, "And now some certain Sirens are going to be pissed at him."

"Just them?" Chuck called out, blasting a line of enemies to oblivion with an array of firepower.

"I'm sick of this non-stop madness of your scrap junk master!" Joy yelled, charging his weapon and blasting a shockwave while he was almost surrounded by the enemies, which were instantly blasted away, deactivating many robots and wounding or even killing many of the humans.

"You deserve this!" he said as his eyes ceased to glow and he floated above them.

Virin continued to fire yellow energy balls against the enemies, be it robot or human. He also fired at least one more Kamehameha at them, killing or destroyed dozens of them.

There was a sudden blast of energy from mid-air that blew a robot to shrapnel, and then Chris's suit de-cloaked, and he slammed into another robot, stabbing it with a blade that came out of his armors arm and then decapitated it.

"Gideon! Activate the Mark I and join the fight!" Chris yelled, and after a few seconds the other suit shot through the air, blasting at enemies left and right. Evan smiled as he appeared beside a human from the enemy's side with some kind of scythe in his hooves.

"Goodbye!" he said as he slashed the scyth through the human and he was instantly crying in pain. Then he disappeared from his place to and appeared near another enemy doing the same.

"I can do this all day..." he muttered to himself with a smirk.

At one point in the battle, Applejack suddenly gave a gasp of pain and just barely managed to take out the human she had been facing earlier.

"Darn it!" she muttered. "Come on, not now..."

Rainbow Dash happened to be nearby and her eyes widened in fear.

"No... AJ, please tell me that wasn't a labor pain!" she demanded.

"How would ya know?" Applejack asked, trying to ignore the pain.

"I've had twin foals, AJ. TWINS!" Rainbow Dash remarked. "Heck, all the girls have had at least one foal! I think I know what a labor pain looks like!"

Red happened to come by and when he noticed it too, he groaned.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he deadpanned, then in an impossibly loud voice, "Nightblade! You may want to get over here!"

Blade heard him and he activated his Gaia Shield and rushed over to his wife. Virin continued to fire his energy balls against the enemies, killing and destroying serveral more of them. He began to pant as he started to feel a little weak from using almost all of his Ki.

"Dang," he cursed. "This isn't going to go well..."

Tempus shot down and hovered above.

"Okay, this is literally the worst time for this," He grunted. "I can have Nightmare take her out of the battle if that's alright."

"Ya know... that's actually a good idea..." Applejack agreed, somehow still standing despite the pain she was in. TD couldn't help but whistle and even Twilight was impressed.

"When that happened to me, I couldn't even stand," she remarked. Bubble and Sunny rushed towards Applejack as well.

"Not good," Bubble muttered. Joy went right behind them with a concerned expression on her face. Evan was real quick to notice Applejack's condition and quickly went towards her. For some obvious reasons he had to be there.

"Looks like, it's the time..." Evan muttered and went towards those who were standing close to Applejack.

"Nightmare! Get AJ to safety! Red, warn the others in the palace about her condition!" TD ordered. Red nodded and called it in while everyone else continued to defend Applejack. Blade just looked at TD. Nightmare nodded and turned into her mist form, shooting towards Applejack and enveloping her, before disappearing along with Applejack.

"TD, you seen Sunrise since the battle started?" Michael asked as he fought a robot nearby.

"Come to think of it... no, I have not!" TD shouted. "And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these guys aren't gonna stop coming! I need you to give me some time!"

"Time for what?" Twilight demanded, then followed his gaze up to the largest enemy ship, which was undoubtedly the flagship.

"No!" She shouted. "I won't let you do this alone!"

"I'm not asking for your help, Twilight," he told her. "It's now or never for me."

"Do what you must TD. We'll hold the line down here." Tempus said as Nightmare materialized beside him, before throwing herself back into battle.

Joy frowned as he heard this. "William, what are you going to do?"

"Is there any backup?!" Blade shouted as he shot the robots with his Creation magic. Virin was still fighting, despite his weak state. He was panting a bit harder than before. But, still, he can't give up. The others need him to defeat the invaders.

"Okay, that's it!" Virin shouted aloud. "I'm seriously not going to enjoy this any further!" He began to yell out loudly again, as an white light started to engulf his very being. His appearance, even his eyes and hair, changed to white as he had an red lining across his arms and upper belly.

"You do your thing, while I deal with Master Four-arms!" TD shouted. He started to snap his fingers, but then Twilight's aura surrounded his hand and he looked down at her.

"I won't let you do this!" she shouted, her eyes already filling with tears.

"Twilight... LET GO," TD told her, his last words sounding like an echoed whisper as he used a Command Spell. She did as told and before she could register what he had done, TD took the opportunity and snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash.

"NO! You idiot! You can't fight all your battles alone!" Twilight shouted in frustration as the tears already fell thick and fast. Frost ran up beside Twilight, looking at her with a knowing expression.

"At least he cares enough about you to keep you safe out of it," She said, before freezing a robot solid.

"Twilight, hold yourself together!" Bubble said to her. "What's he going to do?"

"He's gonna fight the Nameless One. Alone..." Zach suddenly appeared nearby, speaking the words softly as he looked upwards. "Dad, what are you thinking?"

Bubble looked towards that humongous ship and gasped as she heard what Zach told her.

"HAS HE LOST IT?!" She asked in surprise, accidentally using her Canterlot voice. Virin, who was now in his new white form, started to beat up his enemies endlessly. He punched, and kicked them with his arms and legs, before starting to fire a Kamehameha at them, killing and destroying dozens of them like the other times. The young adult human continued his ways of fighting the enemies, blasting them with his energy balls and using his bare fists and kicks. Tempus sighed, before blasting another enemy as Michael raced around, searching for Sunrise. Joy just understood what TD was up to as he heard Bubble's voice.

"I told him not to do something too crazy!" He muttered while crushing a robot's head with his aura grip. Evan didn't take long to understand the situation as well.

"I had some doubts... but now it's official... William, you're a overconfident fool."

* * *

"I really should have brought backup," TD said to himself aloud as he found himself within the depths of the flagship, heading for the command deck where he knew his enemy was waiting for him. The path to the command deck was empty, as if he was taunting the chaotic entity to come closer and face him. TD sighed. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to go on. For his friends, for his family, for the fate of existence as a whole.

He walked over to the doors of the command deck and they opened automatically, allowing him to walk inside. As soon as he did, they shut behind him and he heard a loud "click!" from the doorframe's interior, signaling that it had locked behind him. In case that wasn't enough of an indicator, there was also a green light above the door that turned red as soon as the click was heard. TD looked ahead to see the one he was searching for already waiting for him, calmly sitting on a large chair that was facing the doors. The Nameless One gave an evil grin as TD stared him down.

"So, it is down to you, and it is down to me," the Robot Master remarked casually, his four arms either crossed over his chest or gripping the arms of the chair. TD was no fool, however; he knew that the relaxed pose could turn into a combative stance in an instant, so he kept his guard up.

"I should have made extra sure that we had killed you the first time around," TD stated bluntly, his teeth clenched together in anger as he spoke.

"Oh, but you did know I was still alive, didn't you?" Nameless taunted. "Deep down, you knew it wasn't over, yet you still ignored it all. You wanted to believe it was over, even when it wasn't." He stood up from his chair and all four arms suddenly had a sword materialize in their grips. "You brought this upon them. You caused this when you and your brothers tried to kill me the first time."

"You were threatening my family!" TD argued. "I'd say that gave us more than enough of a right to kill you. You can't expect to threaten someone's family and expect no consequences or retaliation to occur!"

"And you have proven that on many occasions," Nameless agreed, then added, "You have grown in power, William. I'm honestly surprised that you managed to survive all those challenges that I sent your way. Chrissy especially was a real thorn in your side, wasn't she?"

TD's eyes opened in shock. "That was... you?!" he demanded. Then it all fell into place for him. "It was you! You're the one who gave Chrysalis that scroll! The one who made me attack my own friends and family for the gains of a dark being using my body! The one who brought Sombra back from the dead and made him become a menace to Equestria! The one who sent Lord Rage Wolf to attack Canterlot! The one who gave ClearSHC and Herobrine their opening to attack Tempus's Equestria! All those attacks, and more... It was all you!"

The Nameless One chuckled as he circled the human before him, standing over a foot or two taller than TD was.

"I had many spies and allies at my disposal," he said. "It would've been pointless to not use them. I simply wished to test you, see how strong you truly were." He sighed as if sad or disappointed. "Guess we've both improved over time."

TD was silent for a moment longer, still pondering over the attacks on Equestria while he was around and even attacks outside of it. It had all been a ruse, a means to test his power. It infuriated him inside, to feel as if he had been nothing more than a puppet or pawn in his enemy's game. He growled and he felt his blood boil within him. If the Nameless One wanted this to be a game, then it was one he was going to win. Even if it cost him his life.

"I suppose you're right. We've gotten older, stronger, more powerful," TD remarked, almost in a friendly tone. "We became more than we were in the past and have learned from our mistakes. But even with all that, it still comes down to this." He looked to the Nameless One with a curious expression. "You know... you were the first to ever pose a real threat to me in my entire existence. We could've been partners, friends even. Do you think, in another life or an alternate timeline, we could've...?"

"Perhaps," Nameless answered, lowering his weapons for a moment and also looking somewhat sad. "But not in this life. Not in this timeline."

TD sighed. "Then... do what you must, as I shall do the same," he managed. The Nameless One nodded and he finally gave TD a glare as he raised his weapons once more, the chaotic human returning the gaze.

"Let's end this," The Nameless One growled.

"Ladies first," TD taunted, his hands glowing red as his magic built up in his body for the fight. Then they both charged towards each other and collided midway.

TD landed blow upon blow at the Nameless One, who parried the attacks with speed and precision before attempting the same on TD. Fortunately, TD managed to either parry the attacks himself or teleport out of the way if it was too fast or too intense for him to fight back against. Whenever he was at a distance, he would conjure up fire, lightning, or some other ranged attack, even using his chaos to alter reality the way Discord or Screwball would in a fight. Sadly, his enemy seemed to have a counter for everything that was thrown at him, although he seemed surprised at TD's power levels. If it wasn't for a special upgrade he had given himself so many thousands of years ago, TD could've ended the fight in an instant- with a simple "snap" of his fingers.

They both fought with their all, each with a different energy fueling them. For the Nameless One, he was fueled by rage and a lust for revenge; for TD, it was with a more desperate energy. For it was a fight not just for his own life, but the lives of his friends and family below. Unfortunately, TD found himself at a great disadvantage whenever close combat ensued. For TD was a master at magic and ranged attacks, not physical combat. Still, he managed to keep the odds even with his enigmatic and destructive powers. Another edge was in how they fought that made it difficult for either side. TD was relentless in his attacks, never giving his enemy rest or a chance to retaliate if he could help it; The Nameless One was fast and precise, taking even the slightest opening and using it to try and get in close to TD, as he knew the human's weakness in close combat. In this deadly game, it would take only one mistake from either side before it was all over for him.

And sadly, TD was the first to slip up.

An unsuccessful parry that was only a second too slow to stop one of the Nameless One's sword strikes caught him in the side where his ribs were located, causing the Lord of Chaos to screech in pain as he fell to the ground, saved only by a shockwave of energy blasting back his foe away from him. TD cursed himself for slipping up like that and tried to rise, but the pain was too much. His power had been used up quite considerably, his limits- his true limits to his power- starting to bear down on him. He was almost out of magic to spare for the fight and he knew he was going to die if he kept this up. The Nameless One knew this and gave a laugh.

"Give up now, surrender to me, and I will spare your life yet," he ordered. TD's response was a groan of pain before he spat on the robot master's feet, a flame of defiance in his eyes even when he lacked the strength to fight on.

"As long as there's breath in my body, I will never submit," TD coughed. The Nameless One gave another smirk and grabbed TD in one of his hands and slammed him against a wall, then with one of his other hands he stabbed a sword through TD's gut. The pain was unbearable, and if TD could've screamed he would've. He grimaced and made near-silent yells of pain as the blade penetrated deep into his body. The Nameless One laughed.

"How does it feel, Terror of Dimensions, to permanently die?" he taunted. "How does it feel to know that with you gone, your friends and family will soon follow?"

"N-not die..." TD managed weakly, so low that The Nameless One had to strain to hear. "S-sacrifice!"

He abruptly pulled on The Nameless One's form, driving the blade inside him all the way out through his body and into the wall behind him, but also pulling the robot master closer to him as a knife appeared in his hand and he stabbed it into his enemy's neck. The Nameless One dropped his weapons and staggered back as he pulled the knife out, a blue-colored blood spilling from his wound as he too stood on the doors of Death. TD meanwhile screamed out in pain as he used his magic to enhance his strength and pulled the sword out from his body, unpinning him from the wall and he fell to the floor in a pool of his own blood, gasping heavily and feeling the room go dark around him as his consciousness started to fade. Desperate to keep himself in the fight a little longer, TD's hand turned to fire and he pressed it against his wound, screaming again as the wound burned shut. The external bleeding had stopped, but not the internal.

At least he had bought himself some time. Placing his hand on one of the control panels, TD started to shock it terribly with his lightning, causing an AI's voice to call out over intercoms on the ship.

 ** _"Core overload! Emergency shutdown, overridden! Core explosion estimated in twenty seconds!"_**

The Nameless One, hearing this, staggered to the locked doorway, stumbling right when he reached it. With amazing strength, he tore it open with his bare hands and started to exit. An escape pod was nearby; if he could make it to the escape pod, then he could still survive this fight and leave TD to die in his ship. However, right when he started to leave, a cord of magical energy wrapped around his neck and forcefully pulled him back into the room. On the other end of the rope, hanging on with a desperate yet fiery energy in his eyes, TD pulled his foe closer to him and then locked him in a headlock.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" he hissed, just as the countdown started to reach its end.

 ** _"Seven... six... five..."_**

Still holding onto the Nameless One, TD summoned the last of his magical energy within him for one last spell.

 ** _"...four... three..."_**

A peaceful smile came on TD's face and a tear ran down his cheek, as he managed to hold Nameless down while looking at a small picture he had kept on his person all this time with his other arm outstretched away from him: a picture of him and Twilight, side by side, with Zach, Diana, and Tracker beside him as well. His family all together in one photo. More tears escaped him and he let out a happy sigh as he brought the picture close to his heart and closed his eyes, time seeming to slow down for him.

 _Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,_ he said in his thoughts. _Thank you for the memories, and for giving me the best adventure of my life. I love you guys... I love you all... Don;t forget me..._

 ** _"... two... one..."_**

The last thing he remembered was briefly hearing the sound of the command center exploding with a loud roar, and then... silence...

* * *

All the others heard from down below was a large fiery explosion come from the flagship as the entire ship was torn apart from the inside out. All fighting stopped as they all looked heavenwards.

"That was the equivalent to several atomic bombs at least," Red commented. "Cindy. any survivors?"

"I... can't tell..." she admitted. "I'm not picking up anything from this distance."

"My scanners aren't picking up anything either." Gideon said as he hovered nearby, still controlling Chris's original suit.

"Great Wagstaff..." Chuck remarked.

"Is William... alright?" Joy shouted in fear. Virin looked surprised, even in his new form, but didn't say anything. Blade used his magic to detect any life signals.

"I can't See any Life Signatures..."

"No," Bubble whispered.

"Uncle William!" Sunny and Bold shouted. All eyes turned to Tempus, especially TD's family.

"William... did he...?" Twilight asked, practically begging.

Tempus blinked, a tear rolling down his face. He wished he didn't have to say it, but he knew it was his responsibility.

"I felt it... I'm sorry everyone, but... William's gone." The alicorn said, as he lowered his face towards the ground, closing his eyes as his wings started quivering.

It sent an emotional wave through all the heroes.

Virin looked quite shocked at the news. "You mean..."

His new form calmed down, transforming him back to normal.

"GONE!" Joy shouted in rage and sorrow "NO! He can't die this easily!" Joy said in seemingly in sadness and rage. "He can't!"

Bubble fell to her knees as she heard this, still shocked from the realization as she looked towards Twilight. Blade was shocked by what Tempus said.

"No..." He lowered his head.

"I was wondering what the first toll this battle would take would be," Chuck said solemnly. "It should have been me."

Twilight and her family were dead silent, lowering their heads as the enemy glanced back at them.

"NOOO!" Pinkie wailed, understandably.

"Don't... cry, Pinkie..." Rainbow Dash pleaded, about ready to break herself. "Stay... strong... for him..."

Rarity, Starlight and Fluttershy had already burst into tears to mourn. Bill, Red, and Diego all closed their eyes.

"Sleep peacefully, old friend," Bill whispered. Joy went down on the ground falling on his knees while he started to breath heavily. His wings disappeared as he breaths became more and more upset.

Just then, something seemed to change in Twilight and TD's family. Something snapped. With a howl of rage, Twilight's horn and eyes glowed dangerously as beams of magic fired off madly from her body, striking enemies without mercy and leaving none around her alive. Zach and Tracker were also on a rampage, smashing through enemies like plywood. For Zach, Tempus could sense that his darker side had taken over for the time being and Tracker's eyes had turned blood red, signaling that he was enraged as well.

"You monsters!" he yelled in rage and sorrow. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Tracker simply hissed violently as he tore into his enemies in a feral manner, seemingly incapable of speech while mad. Blade remained silent and he punched at a wall to subdue any anger

Joy's wings disappeared for a moment before he his body started to glow with blood red aura. He looked up towards the enemy with his eyes shining bloody red.

"DARN YOU ALL!" Joy shouted, transforming once again, his wings grow even larger but now they were shining in sharp red color as his weapon appeared in his hands. "How DARE YOU KILL MY FRIEND!" He flew towards the enemies carelessly with only one aim in his mind. "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU REGRET THIS! I'LL TEAR YOU ALL APART!"

Tempus seemed to be in shock, his wings still quivering, but then a ripple went through his skin as his light brown coat suddenly darkened to almost black, and when he raised his head and opened his eyes again, they were glowing red.

 **"You'll pay for taking the life of my friend!"** He yelled as he took off running, going so fast that he broke the sound barrier. The enraged alicorn smashed into any enemies he saw, not holding back his dark side as he let his anger drive him. As his rage drove him forward, he suddenly noticed a crystal-like Mobian figure, staring at him with poisonous green eyes. He aimed his hand at Tempus and the alicorn could sense energy being charged up by the evil entity.

"You want revenge so badly?" he taunted. "Why don't you come and take it, Prince Tempus?"

Tempus glared at the figure, his red glowing eyes narrowing before they lit up silver.

 **"With pleasure!"** He screamed, racing towards him as he began charging his magic up. Mephiles gave an equivalent to a smirk and fired his beam of magic at the Prince of Time. They collided midway and for a moment, it was unclear who had won. Until the dust cleared and the alicorn was nowhere to be seen; instead, the hated entity was there, laughing wickedly.

"That takes care of him," he scoffed. Starlight stared at where Tempus had just been. The alicorn closed her eyes, and when she opened them again they were blazing with fury.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" She screamed, as she began blasting every enemy around her with her magic. But it was clear even with this newfound rage and strength among our heroes, the city was lost. There were simply too many of the foes coming in at once, and they'd soon be overrun.

"Everybody get out of here, now!" Chuck ordered, flying upwards to address the army. "We need Canterlot completely evacuated pronto!" he commanded.

"WHAT ABOUT AJ!?" Blade shouted. Michael raced up beside Red, the battered and bloodied form of Sunrise slung over his shoulder.

"Nightmare took her to a safe location Nightblade! She'll be fine!" the Pyrunian yelled.

"Fall back! Everyone, fall back!" Red shouted.

"Live to fight another day, soldiers!" T-bone added, the Clone-turned-pony firing several shots into the figures following them. Joy grunted in anger as he heard that they had to evacuate.

"WE AREN'T FINISHED YET!" he shouted while joining in the retreat along with his family.

"There's nothing else we can do, unless you wanna get yourself killed!" Chuck called, flying overhead, leading a crew away. Joy didn't reply to Chuck's statement as he and his family rushed towards the palace along with the others. They had to bring their young ones away from the Canterlot as soon as they could.

At the same time, Tempus's Celestia and Luna found themselves being surrounded by both Timestopper and Nightmare, as well as Thunderstrike, Chris in his suit of armor, and Crystal, who had the Harmony Axe slung across her back.

"Task force Omega, we're retreating!" Crystal yelled as her horn began to glow. "Brace yourselves!"

There was a flash of white magic, and when it cleared the group that had just been there was nowhere to be seen. Red meanwhile kept up the chain of retreat, rushing among the ranks of his allies to call them off.

"Fall back!" Red called out! "Fall back!"

Everyone started to retreat, with Red and some others covering the retreat. However, Red was unable to retreat himself when he noticed Mephiles standing before him, blocking his path.

"Time for a rematch, hedgehog," the entity taunted. "And this time, you will drown in the darkness I possess."

Red gave him a steely glare. "You're going to pay for all the lives you've taken, including that of my friends."

Mephiles laughed. "Fool! I exist in the past, present and future! You have no means of killing me! Surrender now, and I will spare you from the same fate as your friends."

Red, understandably, did not comply and simply smirked at what Mephiles has said to him.

"That's all it took to take you down? Why didn't you say so?" he asked sarcastically. Mephiles's face lit up in shock as Red landed a punch to the jaw, followed by a rapid flurry of blows before he was forced to jump back as Mephiles released a shockwave of energy. The evil entity growled and several clones of himself appeared all around Red.

"Die, you little pest!" he shouted as all the clones attacked him at once. Red, however, teleported out of harms way with some of the chaos powers he possessed within, and then rushed in and out of the crowd of clones, killing them off easily. He smirked as he stared down the entity.

"You couldn't defeat Shadow in physical combat, and I have proven to be his better," Red remarked. "You don't stand a chance."

Mephiles growled and charged up the same energy he had used to kill Tempus as Red charged at him full speed. Mephiles fired his beam at Red, making it almost look as if it would be a repeat of Tempus's mistake. However, at the last possible second, Red slid underneath the beam and up to Mephiles's feet, the entity seeming very surprised to see him. Red quickly stood to his feet and landed a flurry of blows to the dark entity's face, dodging when necessary and then returning to retaliation. In this fashion, Mephiles soon fell to the ground, battered and beaten. He started to use his power to go back in time, but seeing this Red made a gesture at him and the hedgehog's hand glowed with a negative or grey light. Mephiles felt his power diminish and his time jump fail.

"Impossible!" he shouted as Red's form became a full grey color. "You can't... defeat me..."

"Word of advice," Red stated as he placed a hand on Mephiles's head. "Never tell your enemy about your weakness, and never underestimate them."

His hand glowed brighter as he held it against Mephiles's head, and the entity screeched in vain protest as his form slowly started to disintegrate. Before he had fully disappeared, he made a final resolution to Red.

"I... will... return..." he vowed, and then he disappeared completely.

"Don't count on it," the hedgehog stated bluntly as his form returned to normal and he rushed to join his comrades, who were all pulling out of Canterlot. Even with the superior warriors and power at their disposal, it was especially clear to the heroes that this battle was lost; they would have to live to fight another day.

* * *

Down in Ponyville, the evacuated civilians all watched their approaching army with fear and worry. There were many wounded, and many whom were simply missing. Several questions were raised, such as, "Where's TD? And Prince Tempus?" "Where's my child?" "Did you push them back?" But their answers were given by the solemn silence that was portrayed.

"I've got to say, war life is aging you horribly," Chuck's former piano player, Ivory Keys remarked as she embraced her old friend once the monarch rejoined his old friends.

"Yeah, one of these days I'll end up looking like you," Chuck quipped.

"I should've died as well..." Joy muttered as tears started to flow from his eyes. "This shouldn't have happened..."

Virin started to train harder, even if there were an evacuation going on. He punched the air, producing some gust of wind as he took a deep breath before doing some more push-ups, starting from where he left on to a higher number.

Meanwhile, Michael raced around Ponyville looking for Red. He had found Chris and had talked to him already, and now he was looking for the hedgehog. He found the hedgehog sitting on the steps of the Castle of Friendship, looking defeated.

"Why didn't I help him? Why didn't I go with him?" he asked himself.

"Red, snap out of it!" the Pyrunian said as he skidded to a stop. "Sunrise is hurt bad, and I need you to come with me. Now."

Red followed Michael to where the pegasus was located, checking over his wounds.

"He's terribly wounded, but I've seen worst," the hedgehog remarked. "Get me medical supplies, then leave us. This is not gonna be pretty."

Michael nodded, before he raced off, coming back with the medical supplies just as Chris landed nearby, stepping out of his suit as he knelt beside the Pegasus, raising his watch and scanning him, before checking it and grunting.

"You realize what we'll have to do, right?" The human asked Red.

"Probably not, but I'll do my best to save him," Red remarked, then began to work. Outside, hugging each other tightly, Celestia and Sunshine were also expressing their grief and sorrow so far, the Changeling in particular looking somewhat traumatized.

"Mommy... does this mean that we lost the war?" she asked.

"No my Sunshine," Celestia reassured, one of her wings gently holding the Changeling close to her. "We haven't lost the battle yet. Today... we just lost the fight."

Aqua seem sad as well, and somewhat upset. Joy went over and sat beside his son. Then Aqua spoke to his father.

"If I'd been there, I'd kill them in an instant!" Aqua shouted in anger. Joy gave him a small glare, which also seemed to be caring yet sad and worried at the same time.

"Don't worry my son," Joy said to him gently as he grabbed him in a hug. "I'll make them regret what they've done..."

Meanwhile, inside the Castle of Friendship itself, Twilight was in her bedroom, crying till her eyes refused to release anymore tears while hugging a picture of TD close to her. She had suffered loss before to some extent, but this felt like the final nail in the coffin, breaking her very soul to its deepest depths. Sniffing, she looked to the picture of TD in her hooves.

"I'll miss you dearly... my Prince of Chaos," she whispered tearfully. "No stallion... can or will replace you in my heart..."

She sobbed some more as she looked to her stomach and held one of her hooves to it.

 _I never got to tell him,_ she thought to herself as sleep slowly started to overcome her in her sorrow.

"Sleep... peacefully... my one and only... love."

* * *

At the ruins of Canterlot, admid all of the chaos and destruction, a shadowy figure looked around at the battlefield. He was holding a kind of staff and his face was currently hidden by the shadow of the building he was standing beside.

"Hmm... Looks like the battle has just begun..." he remarked. He took out his staff and magic coursed through him and the staff, as he summoned ten Black Wolves and one Alpha. They turned to him expectantly and he gave a gesture.

"Go forth, young ones..." he commanded. The creatures nodded and they scurried around Canterlot, careful to avoid the soldiers of the Nameless One who were already occupying the once-proud city.

* * *

 **No! RIP TD and Tempus!  
**

 **I'll be honest, I literally cried when writing this chapter. It was that emotional for me. I feel so bad having to kill characters off. I think I might cry again just by re-reading this when I post it...**

 **Big thanks to all who participated in this chapter: _Admirer Boy, Nightsoul Distortion, Impressionsguy, Darkstalker728,_ and _Daniel Clausen_! Without you guys, this chapter would not be possible!**

 **Cya in the next chapter! Hope y'all are hyped!**


	6. Romances Budding and A Monarch Lost

Sunshine looked out at the ruins of Canterlot from where she stood in a field some ways away from Ponyville, staring up as she noticed the plumes of smoke that had risen since then. A wave of sorrow came over her as she looked on, not just for her home being destroyed but also because of the life that had been lost up there to the Nameless One's attack.

"My home... my uncle... they're both gone," she managed to herself in a soft tone.

"Sunshine..." She suddenly heard the voice of Aqua calling to her. His tone also felt full of sadness and worry. She turned to the unicorn and managed a smile.

"Oh, hi Aqua," she said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was... just worried..." Aqua managed.

"Worried for what?" Sunshine asked.

"I was... worried for you..." Aqua admitted as he looked towards the ruins of Canterlot.

"Oh..." she gave a small blush. "That's rather nice of you to be concerned for me."

"I really mean it..." Aqua blushed as well. "I don't like itwhen some one makes my friends cry..." Then with somewhat more determination and a bit of rage, he added, "The one who took away our Uncle... I'll make sure to make him cry to his end..."

At this, Sunshine noticed that color of his eyes changed from dark-pink to fiery orange, but then suddenly returned to normal.

"Aqua," she inquired, "Why did I sense such... hate from you?"

"Hn?" Aqua said in somewhat surprise "What do you mean, Sunshine?"

"I'm a Changeling; I can sense the emotions of others. It's how I survive, by feeding off it. Especially love," Sunshine replied. "And I just sensed a lot of hate from you."

"Maybe, that's my anger..." Aqua admitted, looking down to his hooves. "I have had this in me since I was very young... I truly don't know... why"

Sunshine nodded gravely. She could tell he was telling the truth due to how his emotions flared up upon saying that. But she still didn't like the amount of anger she had felt. It was... almost like the darkness her mother held inside of her.

"Uncle William would've said that was your darker side," she said, then explained, "He says that we all have a dark side to us and we also have a good side to us, and that it's up to us to decide which one controls us." She sighed. "Mommy has a darker side, called Daybreaker, that's selfish, cruel, and downright nutty. But she says the key is to know that your darker side does not have control unless you allow it to take control."

"I don't want to lose control of my dark side..." Aqua said, almost fearful of him becoming evil. "I don't wanna become a bad pony..."

Sunshine gave a small smile and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"You're not a bad pony," she reassured. "Aunt Fluttershy says that you might make some bad decisions on occasion, but that doesn't make you a bad pony. What makes you good or bad depends on where your heart is." She made a small buzzing sound that sounded happy. "And even without being a Changeling, I can tell you have a good heart."

"Thanks..." Aqua smiled at this and gave a giggle in relief. Sunshine smiled a little wider, then stared back out at Canterlot.

"Aqua, when this is over, what do you wanna become when you're older?" the Changeling inquired, two of her eyes glancing over at him while the others focused on Canterlot.

"Well, I wanna become..." Aqua tapped his chin few times with his hoof before replying. "I wanna become... a warrior..." he said, before he realized that a warrior still sounded a little violent. "No... maybe a... Prince perhaps? I'm not sure..."

Sunshine giggled. "It's okay. You'll find out when the day comes."

"And,,, what do you wanna become when you're older?" Aqua asked tilting his head to the side. She turned to focus all her eyes on him and give him her full attention.

"Well, Mommy says I can become whatever I want,"she said. "So... I guess I want to be... an artist. Mommy says that I'm really good at it."

"That's wonderful!" Aqua said as he clapped his hooves. "I think I can become an artist too... I just need to learn about... art."

"Well, as Aunt Applebloom told me once, 'Ya never will know if ya never try.' She said that once when I asked her how come she was a good artist if her Cutie Mark was something different," Sunshine remarked. "She told me that just because your Cutie Mark shows one thing doesn't mean you aren't good at others. Maybe you should take a class with me sometime and learn the ropes."

"Really?" Aqua asked. "Of course I will!"

Then suddenly realization hit him and his smile almost vanished, but still he managed to keep a small grin on his muzzle.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. "I saw that look."

"I really want this fight to end... but when it's over... I just don't know... My mind can't get itself off from thinking about bad stuff..." Aqua said as a few tears started to flow down from his eyes. "I can't take it anymore..."

He started to sob as he said this. Sunshine felt bad for her friend. She didn't know much on what to do to comfort him, so she tried something Celestia always did to cheer her up; she gave Aqua a hug and even nuzzled up to him a tad bit. Aqua took a moment to realize that she was nuzzling him, but that was different than the usual nuzzling feeling, partially because of her exoskeleton, but no doubt that was comfortable feeling. Aqua closed his eyes and returned the hug as he nuzzled her back.

Sunshine felt that the experience for her was different from whenever she did this with other ponies, such as her mother or her many aunts and uncles, but in a good way. It was strange, warm fuzzy feeling that she had never felt before. As such, she didn't realize exactly what it was, but she didn't care. As they hugged, Aqua could hear a low humming sound from the Changeling's body. It was a melodious, positive or happy sound that was coming from her. Aqua could also feel this strange feeling within him as he heard the melodious hums coming from her body. After a few moments longer, Sunshine pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes and gave a smile.

"Feel better now?" she asked.

Aqua was smiling as well as he gave her a small nod. "Yes, I do feel better."

Sunshine blushed a little. "So... you want to sit here for a while with me before we head back?"

"Alright," Aqua replied with a nod. They sat down beside each other and looked out to the sky once more as the day carried on and the sun started to set on the town of Ponyville.

* * *

Mortem was sitting in front of an empty hole, holding a charred and blackened chest plate in his magic. To most, it would have been unrecognizable, but to him it was instant as to its identity; the chest plate his father had worn into battle.

"Goodbye dad," The teenage alicorn said as he set it into the hole, using his magic to move dirt over it and stamped it down. "I'm... I'm sorry that you had to go out that way..."

He closed his eyes, and with a sob started crying, his grief finally overtaking him. After some time, Mortem took a shuddering breath and he stood, turning and walking away from the grave as he continued to sob silently.

Meanwhile, Sunny was sitting in a room along with her brother and some other young ones. She was really sad as well, not just that things seemed pretty terrible already but also because she'd lost one she called her "Uncle William." Even though she didn't want to show that she was crying in front of her brother, some sobs were still leaving her in breaths.

"I... I will be back in a while," Sunny said to Bold as she stood up from her place. Bold was also silent for obvious reasons.

"Okay... Don't go too fal, okay?" he told her

"I... won't," Sunny almost sobbed and went out of the room, just to find some silent place to let out her grief.

"No... why... just why..." She sobbed silently as she remembered the scenery of that flagship's destruction and then afterwards the news of her uncle's death. "Why couldn't we save him?!"

Sunny was just strolling around as tears were continually flowing from her eyes down to her cheeks. She just wanted see everything alright once again, as it was before all this had started. As she moved along, she suddenly bumped into someone.

"S-sorry, I wasn't looking..." she managed before realizing who it was. Mortem smiled sadly.

"Neither was I, so I think we're both at fault Sunny," he said, wiping a tear away.

"Oh Mortem... it's you..." Sunny said, looking up to the alicorn's face. Mortem noticed the tears streaming down Sunny's face, and he looked her in the eyes.

"You're upset about TD's death, aren't you?" he asked softly.

"Yes..." Sunny whined as she wiped a couple of tears from the corner of her eyes. Mortem blinked a couple of times, before he stepped forward and hugged Sunny, wrapping his wings around her.

"I know how you're feeling... I'm upset about my dad's death to," he said softly. Sunny was a little surprised as he hugged her, but she returned the hug instantly by wrapping her wings around him as well, letting out all the sobs she was holding until then. Mortem also let out his sobs, glad for the company.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for your loss..." He whispered.

"I am sorry too... You lost your father... my sadness doesn't matter much..." Sunny whispered in reply.

"Everypony's sadness matters..." Mortem whispered. "Especially that of a mare like yourself..."

"I wish there'd be something we could do... to fix everything... to save them..." she cried.

"So do I, but we can't do anything..." Mortem said quietly. "So... we just have to console each other through our grief."

"Mmhmm..." Sunny replied slowly, folding her wings back to her side. "I guess that's the only thing... we can do."

Mortem stepped away from her, folding his own wings back.

"So... what do you want to do?" He asked, smiling as he spoke.

"I have... no idea," she smiled sadly.

"Well… do you want to go flying with me?" he suggested.

"Okay..." Sunny nodded. "That... seems like a good idea."

Mortem smiled as he opened his wings, lifting off and hovering.

"Well, let's get going then." He said, his eyes twinkling softly.

Sunny opened her wings as well and hovered after him. "Sure..." she said.

"After you," he said, smiling.

"Alright..." She said as she flew ahead of him. He flew after her, catching up quickly and flying alongside her.

"So, is there anything you want to talk about?" He said, glancing over at her. Sunny made a thoughtful expression for a moment at this, before she spoke.

"So, how is the life back in your Equestria...?"

That seemed like a good enough question to distract their minds from the stress of the current situations right then. Mortem smiled as his gaze became thoughtful.

"Well, it's not as exciting sometimes as I wish it would be... my only friends up until coming here were my sister and the children of my Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna, and Aunt Twilight." He chuckled. "We never realized that because of our friendship and powers from our parents we'd be able to wield the Elements of Time though, so it's kind of cool to be as famous as Aunt Twilight and her friends."

"Interesting..." Sunny smiled. "So, why there weren't any friends of yours...? I mean you're a nice colt after all."

"Yeah, but most ponies think that because I'm royalty, it means they have to be respectful to me... and it just gets annoying," he explained wryly. "To be honest, you're the first close friend I've ever had, even closer then my own twin sister."

"You don't know how honored I'm to hear this, your majesty..." Sunny said while slightly bowing her head. Mortem made a sour face, eyeing her.

"Please don't..." he said, almost pleading. "I don't like being called by my title... Mortem's fine Sunny."

Sunny made a soft giggle at this.

"Gotcha!" She shouted as Mortem looked at her blankly. "I was just messing with ya. I don't like formalities either..." Sunny said. "There are many annoying ponies in my Equestria as well who want to befriend me, but only because I'm the daughter of the 'Princess of Hope.'"

Mortem chuckled slightly.

"You did get me," he said, smiling warmly at her. "I've never been tricked like that before, so you get the privilege of being the first pony to do it."

"Hurray for me," She giggled. "I've pranked an alicorn." Sunny chuckled a little as well. "But in all honesty, did you really think I'd call you by the title?"

"No, which is why I like you Sunny. You can see past the fact that I'm an Alicorn and a Prince of Equestria and see the pony I am truly," He said, turning and flying backwards while facing her.

"Well, that's partially because of my mommy," Sunny replied. "She taught me to not judge people for what they are, but who they are by themselves."

"My mom and dad taught me most of what I know about being respectful and not judging others before getting to know them first," Mortem said, smiling. "So, what's it like on your Equestria?"

"It's alright..." Sunny replied. "I mean, aside from a few things... as someone was always trying to hurt daddy... but Uncle William helped us..." As she mentioned his name, her smile seemed to vanish once again. "He was always there to help us every time... we needed him..."

"Hey, look at me," Mortem said, flying in front of her and taking her hooves. "I may not be William, or my father, but I promise you Sunny, I will always be there for you."

Sunny's face glowed with a blush as she looked towards him and nodded.

"Thanks... that's so nice of you."

Mortem blushed slightly as well. "It's... it's the least I can do Sunny."

Sunny passed a smile as her blush grew a little deeper. "Umm... I feel the same way, Mortem."

"So.. do you want to, umm... continue our flight?" Mortem asked awkwardly, feeling his heart beating a bit faster. Sunny slowly pulled her hooves away and passed him a nod.

"Yes, I guess I do..." she started to feel a little awkward at this as well.

Mortem smiled as he flew back around to her side, and mentally he was thinking, _"Come on Mortem! You've faced down villains before, so why is telling her how I feel such a hard thing!?"_

"So... do you have anypony in your world that you have a crush on?" he asked slowly, glancing at her.

Sunny passed him a little surprised look before she smiled and said, "Hmm... not really, not yet."

"Oh..." Mortem said, before he took a deep breath and glanced over at her again. "Hey Sunny... could I tell you something?"

"Why not?" Sunny answered with an encouraging smile. "Of course, you can tell me anything..."

"Okay..." He said, before taking another deep breath. "Sunny, I.. I think I'm in love with you."

Sunny stopped in midair as she heard this, and looked at him with a half-surprised expression, while a blush was clear on her muzzle. Mortem glanced away, blushing furiously.

"I mean, I get it if you don't feel the same, and if you don't I'm fine with that..." he said, rambling on.

"No, no it's okay." Sunny stopped him with a giggle. "Honestly though, you surprised me with your confidence..."

"I have been told I can be a bit over-confident and cocky sometimes..." Mortem said, glancing back at her and giving a small grin. "I guess I kind of take after my Aunt Rainbow Dash."

"So, tell you what Mortem..." Sunny smiled as she booped him with her hoof, "I guess, I like you too."

Mortem blinked, before giggling.

"Y.. you do?" He asked, smiling at her.

"I'm very sure I do," Sunny said with a nod. "Who knows what could happen until the war ends..." Her smile became a little sad. "So, there is no need to hide our feeling from each other."

"Yeah... so, what do we do now?" he asked.

"No idea here," Sunny replied before she smiled and went close to him to give him a nuzzle. Mortem smiled and nuzzled Sunny back, feeling a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest.

"Hopefully we'll both get through this fine..." he murmured. "Because I really don't want to be separated from you, Sunny."

"Me neither..." Sunny said reassuringly. "So, I guess we're on the same cloud."

"Yeah..." Mortem said, before smiling at her as he nuzzled her again. "But I'm glad that I'm on it with you."

Sunny made a giggle at this and then looked down below to the land beneath them. "Hmm... do you think we should head back now...?"

"Sure... if you want to," Mortem said, before smiling slyly. "Or, we could find a nice cloud to sit on and enjoy each others company for a little longer."

"I guess so... But... we'll head back after a while, okay...?" she said as she looked somewhat worried.

"We'll head back after a while," Mortem promised, smiling. Sunny and Mortem were sitting on a comfy cloud for some time, while they were talking and enjoying the weather while they still could. But for some reason, Sunny was unable to shrug off an upsetting feeling in her chest.

"Mortem, I think we should return now..."

Mortem nodded, feeling some sort of nagging feeling in the back of his mind. "I agree..."

So they flew back towards the place where they had started. When they arrived, however, they noticed a huge crowd in front of the med bay, everyone looking worried or saddened. Mortem glanced around as they landed, before he began pushing through, headed for the med area.

"Follow me!" he said to Sunny. Sunny nodded as she followed him towards the med area, wondering what was going on.

* * *

Starlight Glimmer of Prince Tempus's world walked through Ponyville, headed towards the Castle of Friendship. She wanted to check to see how TD's Twilight was holding up. As she reached the castle and walked up the steps to the front doors, she paused before raising her hoof and knocking on them. The door was opened and Diana peeked her head out. Much like so many others, especially in TD's family, she had been in mourning for the human and it was clear that she had been crying, as seen by some tear stains on her cheeks. She had at least managed to compose herself enough to answer the door it seemed, but without trying to hide the fact that she had been grieving.

"Oh, Princess Starlight," she greeted, managing a small smile. "How can I help you?"

Starlight smiled, although her own eyes carried a deep look of sadness.

"I was wondering if I would be able to speak with your mother," she said softly.

Diana nodded. "She's up in her bedroom. I'll lead you there; the interiors of the Castle here are much different than you may remember them back home thanks to Dad, so it's sometimes easy to get lost."

She led Starlight through the halls of the Castle and to a set of stairs that were build in a spiral manner, going up for a ways before it hit another set of hallways with several visible doors. One of the doors was barely open a crack. Diana pointed to it.

"That's her room," she explained.

"Thank you Diana," Starlight said, before walking up to the door and knocking lightly on it.

"Twilight? Can I come in?" She asked, loud enough to be heard.

"Depends," Twilight's voice came back, sounding like she was in a slum. "Which Starlight?"

"Tempus's," Starlight replied. "So can I come in?"

Twilight didn't answer, but the door was suddenly surrounded by Twilight's aura and it opened wide enough for Starlight to answer. Walking inside, she found Twilight sitting on her bed with a pile of tissues nearby in a waste can and a picture of TD beside her.

"Please shut the door when you enter," she asked, not yet facing her. "I... don't wish to be disturbed by anypony else."

Starlight nodded, as her aura surrounded the door and closed it without a sound.

"I... I'm sorry about William, Twilight... and I know what you're going through right now," Starlight said, her voice cracking on the last part as the act she had been keeping up until that point fell apart, and she closed her eyes as tears started to form. "Trust me... I know.."

This actually caught Twilight's attention and she lifted her head up to look to Starlight.

"I... I'm sorry too," she replied. "I should've thought about that. You and Tempus..." She sighed. "I guess I have been a bit... well..."

"It's okay..." Starlight said, wiping away a tear that was running down her face. "It's just... Tempus always told me that because of his powers, he'd always be able to be by my side... and now this..."

By now, tears were freely running down the alicorn's face, as she let out a sob. Twilight noticed this and got off the bed and trotted over to Starlight, giving her a small hug.

"I know... what you mean," she managed. "I promised William I'd always be by his side too... but then this all happened. So... I guess we're in the same boat together."

Starlight, finally giving into the grief she had been holding back up until now, could only nod as she hugged Twilight back, collapsing on her as she started crying.

"W... why did th... this have to h... happen?" She sobbed into the other alicorn's shoulder.

"I don't know..." Twilight answered, sobbing as well. "I'm not sure... why this happened..."

Starlight just continued crying, glad for Twilight's presence as she finally let out her grief for the loss of Tempus. Just then, interrupting them, there was a series of rapid knocks.

"Twilight, come quick!" Spike's voice called from the other side. "It's Celestia! I think she's hurt real bad!"

"WHAT?!" Twilight exclaimed. Starlight whipped her head around, her eyes widening as she glanced at Twilight.

"Why... why can't we just get a break?" She asked as she hurriedly wiped her tears away.

* * *

"Everyone get back! Give the Princess some space!" Bill ordered as he rushed ahead of Diego Kapila, who was gently lifting up Celestia's form in his arms, seeming surprisingly strong for his build, though it also could've helped that she was a winged creature. Celestia was barely conscious, muttering out random statements from time to time, but one sentence was actually translatable.

"Sunshine... where's Sunshine...?" she asked.

"Save your energy, Celestia," Diego told her. "We're almost there..."

There was a flicker of black lightning, and Michael ran up beside Bill, his different colored eyes focused on him.

"Want me to clear the path?" He asked, as small sparks of black lightning arced through the air around him.

"I've got it," Bill reassured him, using his psychic powers to move ponies out of the way with ease if they weren't fast enough. "You just clear a spot for us in the medical bay. And someone call Luna, even if she's asleep!"

Michael nodded, before he took off running again. There was a blast of air, and a blue mist shot away from the group; it was obvious that Nightmare Moon had taken it upon herself to go get Luna. Meanwhile, with Virin, he was currently doing some push-ups.

"One thousand five hundred five," he counted up still, before beginning to hear a commotion in the town. "Shoot!"

He flew into the air as he began to fly towards the disruption of his training, forgetting his high number as he did so. Once landing on the ground beside his allies, he asked them, "What's going on?!"

"Princess Celestia's been injured!" a pony told the Saiyan as they stood outside the medical bay, waiting for them.

"Say what?!" Virin shouted at the pony. "She's of immortality. She can't be hurt!"

"She can still die!" a unicorn in the crowd piped up. The doors to the Castle of Friendship opened and Spike, Twilight, and Princess Starlight came rushing out and over to the small convoy.

"Celestia!" Twilight shouted in worry. "What's wrong with her?"

"We don't know yet. She just collapsed and from what it seems, she's also got several broken ribs," Diego answered.

"Where's Joy?" Bill asked them as he moved a cart out of the path. "And Bubble? She may not be their Celestia, but they'd want to know as well."

"I'll find them!" Princess Starlight said as she raced off. She returned shortly with the ones in question.

"We're here!" Joy called aloud as he and his wife reached them.

"What happened to Princess Celestia?" Bubble asked in worry.

"Is she alright...?" Joy asked with so much concern in his voice.

"That's what we're going to find out," Bill stated as they reached the building where Red and the medical staff were situated. Inside, Red had just gotten prepped for them.

"I just finished up with Sunrise. What happened?" he inquired.

"We're hoping you could help us out with that," Diego said as he placed Celestia on the table. Red placed a hand on her head, then suddenly cursed aloud. "Darn it, Tia!" he yelled. "Why can't you just think about your own health for once?!"

There was a burst of black lightning, and Michael raced up, his eyes glowing brightly.

"Need my help Red?" The Pyrunian asked.

"It doesn't look good..." Joy's voice becomes a little heavy with some sadness "Tell me, you can do something to save her..." Joy asked Red.

"Michael, do Tia a favor and find Sunshine," Red told the Pyrunian. He then turned to Joy. "I'll do what I can, Joy and to the best of my ability."

"Understood," Michael said as he took off running, racing through Ponyville as he searched for Sunshine. Bubble's eyes already started to tear up a little as she could feel what Red and others were implying. She tried to shrug it off, but for some reason she couldn't stop sobbing. The blue mist returned and both Nightmare and Luna appeared, the latter rushing over to her sister.

"Tia!" she cried. "What happened to you, sister?"

"I'm... sorry Luna..." Celestia managed weakly. "I just... wanted to help... other ponies first..."

"Well that was a bad choice," Red remarked. "You've got seven broken ribs, and currently one of them has punctured your lung. Also, you've got internal bleeding that's been going on for quite a bit."

Luna looked even more surprised, then got angry.

"Tia, you should've told us!" she shouted.

"You got that injured, and you didn't even say a word..." Joy was at a lost for words now, as he rubbed his forehead due to stress. A flash of black lightning occured and Michael returned with Aqua and Sunshine. The eight-eyed Changeling immediately rushed over to Celestia's side even as Red was prepping her.

"Mommy!" she cried. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Celestia managed a small smile. "I am now that you're here, my little Sunshine."

Red soon stopped as he realized a terrible truth.

 _"I'm sorry guys,"_ he said telepathically, although they already knew his answer before he spoke, due to his expression. _"She's not gonna make it. There's not enough time..."_

Luna and Twilight were saddened immediately.

"No..." Twilight whispered.

"Tia... sister..." Luna sobbed.

"Celestia... don't go..." Princess Starlight pleaded. Sunshine knew what was happening before anyone had answered.

"No... Mommy, please don't go!" she begged. "I promise I'll never be bad again! Don't go, please!"

Aqua looked towards his parents who were looking really stressed at the time.

"Dad, what happened to the Princess?" Aqua asked. In response, he didn't get any answer but a hug and some painful sobs from his parents.

"We don't know my little foal.." Bubble sobbed. "We... don't know..."

By now, at seeing Celestia in that state, Virin now had some tears in his blue eyes. He started to shake a little as he began to make a sobbing sound.

 _If this was my Celestia,_ he thought sadly as he sobbed to himself. _Then I would do everything in my power to bring her back to health. If there was just something I could do, but I can't do anything between this other Equestria; that'll go too far from the rules of universe travel._

"Princess Celestia..." Joy sobbed. "Please don't... go..."

"No, not again... not you too..." Bubble sobbed aloud as well, as trails of tears began to appear on her cheeks. They didn't notice instantly but in some moments they also that Evan was standing beside that bed as well. He didn't say a word but just stood there lowering his head while his sobs could be heard clearly as well.

"Please... my little ponies... let me speak, please..." Celestia managed softly. Many of them who were standing there went a little more closer to the bed, while some of them were still sobbing and some of them were trying to stay strong. Aqua went near to the bed where Sunshine was standing crying as her tears were rolling down on her cheeks.

"Luna... as of now... I am giving you full command as Equestria's ruler... until Sunshine comes of age," she said, making Sunshine's sadness rise a bit, knowing that she'd never say this before without actually being close to death. "Rule our country well..."

Luna gave a small sad nod. "I'll... try, sister," she answered tearfully.

"Twilight... take care of Sunshine for me... when I'm gone..." Celestia continued. Twilight nodded.

"I'll care for her... as if she was my own daughter," she answered. Celestia then turned to Sunshine.

"Sunshine, my beautiful daughter... I've always loved you, from the moment I first laid eyes on you..." she said between a cough. "You brought to me the greatest gift I could ever ask for in all my life... a light upon my dreary duties as princess... and that was having you for a daughter. I... will miss you the most... Be well... my little Sunshine..."

Sunshine didn't reply, but simply cried into her mother's mane as Celestia managed to drape one of her wings across her daughter to return her hug one last time. Aqua's eyes also teared up as soon as he realized that, and started to cry as well, as he felt his breath going a little upset due to shock. The Saiyan started to speak up, making the white alicorn look at him.

"Celestia," Virin began. "Despite not coming from this Equestria, I just wanted to say...I'll miss you. I want to...make everything right by defeating our foes, even if it means losing my life. However, I'll...just say...if my Twilight were here with me...she would be heartbroken too, even if she's not here. I will keep this a secret for you, but I want to go back to my family and friends if I can somehow get back to my world. I'll stay here until then. I can...say a lament, if you want..."

Celestia gave a nod to signal her consent. Virin sighed as he began the lament.

 _I'll make sorrow go away  
_ _Grief, oh grief, go away  
_ _As you go, I watch you go  
_ _If you stay away, I will stay away  
_ _But if you don't, I'll keep you away  
_ _As I watch you go away, then things go away_

 _If you are not going, I'll make you go  
_ _If you stay away, I will stay away_

 _I'll make sorrow go away  
_ _Grief, oh grief, go away  
_ _As you go, I watch you go  
_ _But if you don't, I'll keep you away  
_ _If you stay away, then I will stay away  
_ _But if you don't, I'll keep you away  
_ _As I watch you go, then things go away_

Celestia smiled a bit more, then turned to her subjects and friends.

"Do not lose hope, my little ponies... the fight is not over yet. Fight on, and you will win the battle," she said softly, then added so low that none save Sunshine and those with heightened hearing could hear her, "I must follow my parents..."

Celestia's eyes closed and her head dipped downwards as a glow from her horn appeared and touched the tip of Sunshine's curved horn. There was a momentary flash between them, then Celestia was gone. Just then many of them broke to tears, now without holding back. Bubble ducked her face in Joy's chest at this as she continued to sob loudly. Joy's eyes were shedding tears as well, as he kept stroking Bubble's mane.

"Sleep well..." was all that Evan said in low voice as Princess Celestia passed away. "You'll always be remembered and missed by this Equestria, and by many others."

Sunshine was already crying , burying her face into her mother's mane, which had stopped its usual flowing motion as soon as she had died. As she sobbed, she held tight to Celestia's form.

"Goodbye... Mom..." she whispered. "I'll make sure... your name is never forgotten."

Bill's eyes were full of tears as well, but he didn't cry aloud. Instead, he walked over to Celestia and gently removed the crown from her head, then looked to Sunshine and gave her the crown.

"It's yours now," he said. "To remember her by."

"Riposare in pace, Principessa," Blade said in Italian from the crowd and he placed his hand to his chest. Virin, now knowing that Celestia was gone, sobbed rather loudly. Joy began to make sniffles as well as he hugged Bubble even more tightly.

"She's gone..." he whined. "She's really gone..."

In the midst of everyone's grief, a question was suddenly raised.

"Wait, how will we raise and lower the sun without her?" a pony asked. Upon hearing this, Sunshine climbed up onto the table to look to the crowd. Her horn glowed a bit and all noticed with surprise that the sun was lowering in the sky, signaling a sunset. She stopped it midway to speak to them.

"Mom and I practiced a few times before by having her channel her magic through me... It was her final gift before she..." She couldn't finish and just hung her head in sorrow. Aqua looked at her with his tearful eyes as she moved the sun, feeling really sad and for some obvious reasons proud of her at the same time. From within the crowd, Scootaloo managed to push through to where Virin was still sobbing and gave him a hug, wrapping her wings around him as well as her hooves to help him relieve some of his grief. Feeling the comfort wings of Scootaloo, Virin started to get dark thoughts in his mind right now.

 _I am going to kill those monsters, even if it's the last thing I'll do now_ _,_ was what he thought. _They'll pay for this, even if they hadn't touched Celestia. I am still going to avenge this world from those evil creatures._

After a moment, Diego picked up Celestia's body.

"I'll have her prepared for burial," he said as he carried her out.

"That'll be best," Bill agreed. Luna was still sad, but she did manage to compose herself long enough to preform something that was part of the ways of Equestria.

"We shall mourn for her together. Prepare a ceremony, for we must attend to not one but two events," she ordered, then lowered her head once more. Aqua looked towards his parents and then towards Sunshine. Even being just seven years old right now, he was feeling so enraged over Celestia's death. The only thought which was rumbling in his mind was to end each and every one of them who were responsible for her demise.

 _Just you wait whoever you are. Once I get my hooves on you, I'll make sure to make you cry to your end! I swear_ , Aqua thought.

* * *

Somewhere at the outskirts of Ponyville, the shadowy figure from Canterlot was looking up towards the beautiful town, which seemed to look like a safe haven from the forces of The Nameless One. So far, the enemy had not attempted to move in on them or try to destroy the town with the technology at his disposal.

"So this is the town called 'Ponyville.' This will be... interesting for me..." The Masked Figure spoke up. Then he raised his staff and he summoned a Nevermore and hopped on it's back.

"Take me there," He commanded. The Nevermore nodded, the lifted up into the sky as it flew towards the town. In Ponyville, the first to notice something was wrong was Ruby, who spotted the figure from a ways up in the air.

"Guys! We have a Nevermore!" the young huntress called out, causing her friends to gather around her and look up into the sky as well.

"How did a Nevermore follow us here from Remnant?" Blake asked, her cat ears flattened against her head.

"I don't know, but it doesn't bode well for me," Diego remarked.

"Hold up! There's someone on it's back!" Red shouted to them. "And he's flying it towards us."

"What do we do then?" Weiss asked.

"We wait," Bill answered for her, walking to the front of them. "But be on guard anyways..."

As The Nevermore flew, it let out a screech. Virin looked up into the sky as he heard the screech.

"What's that doing here?" he asked his allies.

"We're about to find out," Red muttered, then pulled out a megaphone and called up, "Land your Nevermore now and state your purpose, or we will attack!"

"And know that we're not in a good mood right now!" Joy seemingly scolded the figure. Virin slapped himself in the forehead when he heard Joy.

"Really, Joy?" he asked the human. "You had to say that right now?"

I really meant it..." Joy crossed his arms as he looked towards Virin. The Masked Figure patted the Nevermore as it descended to the ground. As soon as he had landed the Nevermore, Bill pulled out his sword and advanced towards the Masked Figure, the blade pointed at him in case he tried anything. It's hard to seem intimidating sometimes when you're barely half the size of the figure you're facing down, but Bill managed to pull it off.

"Who are you and how did you find us?" he demanded. "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

Michael raced up, his sword already drawn as he skidded to a stop, eyeing the Masked Figure.

"So, what we got here?" the Pyrunian asked, keeping his eyes focused on the potential threat.

"I am on no one's side... But I can lend you a hand..." The figure stated. He Got Off The Nevermore and he Saw Team RWBY. "Ah... Team RWBY... It's nice to meet you in person."

"How do you know who we are?" Ruby demanded.

"What do you want?" Yang added, balling up her fists.

"It's best if you answer buddy," Red remarked.

"Agreed," Michael snarled as he raised his blade, pointing it at the stranger. "Because some of here are on edge right now."

"If I must..." The figure took off his mask, revealing his golden eyes. "I am Onyx Shadow. Tis a pleasure to meet you," he said with a bow. Virin still had his guard up, not trusting him. Michael steadily advanced, lowering his sword so it wasn't aimed at Onyx, yet placed so he could raise it in an instant if necessary.

"How do we know this ain't some trap our enemies have devised?" The Pyrunian growled. Evan just kept looking at the figure without blinking, as he was trying to recognize him. Joy was looking ready for a fight at any time.

"Lemme try," Red suggested, looking to Onyx. "Are you actually here to help us?"

Onyx chuckled as the Nevermore disappeared into black smoke. "Indeed I am..."

Red stared hard at him, then turned to his friends.

"He's telling the truth," he told them. Team RWBY, Diego and Bill all lowered their weapons, for they knew that Red was capable of telling when one was lying, so they trusted his word. Virin, still having his guard up, looked at Onyx with eyes of suspicion.

"If you're here to help us," the Saiyan started, "then you'll help by defeating our foes?"

Michael lowered the tip of his sword to the ground, his different colored eyes glowing slightly.

"How can you be on nobody's side, yet lend us a hand and say you aren't on our side?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "Seems like kind of a self-refuting statement to me."

Red looked up to Michael with a grin.

"Need I remind you that I'm in the same boat?" he asked. "The only ties that keep me on your side are my friends and family."

"True, but I trust you Red," the Pyrunian said, before gesturing at Onyx. "But I know nothing about him, so I can't yet fully trust him."

Meanwhile, Evan held his new journal and opened it up as it floated in the air in front of him, then a quill appeared in front of the book and began to write in it. While the quill was writing, Evan looked towards Onyx a few times and then after he was done he closed the book.

"Neat..." he muttered.

Onyx went silent for a while, then he spoke, "You can trust me or not, but I will help you."

"If Red says you're good, then I guess I'll have to trust you," Michael said, raising his sword and sheathing it. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Red gave Michael a smirk.

"Good choice," he said, then looked to Onyx. "Quick question: do you know how to do guerrilla warfare?"

"Yes Why?" Onyx asked.

Red chuckled. "Let's just say, this next few weeks are going to look like a repeat of the Vietnam War..."

* * *

 **Red, you cheeky bugger!  
**

 **So yeah, this chapter in my opinion was a bit rushed. Sorry everyone!**

 **Hope you enjoyed regardless, and I'll cya in the next one!**


	7. Two Weeks Later

Two weeks had passed. Neither side seemed to have gained the initiative, for The Nameless One's forces were simply too many to take head on in most cases despite the power the allies held. As such, Red had suggested a different tactic: wear them down over time, then strike when they were at their most vulnerable point. In this fashion, they were managing to take on the Nameless One's forces with little problems and their forces were scattered all about, making it impossible for the enemy to track all them down. The only pockets of resistance that remain strong against his forces in full on battle was down in Ponyville, the Thunder Empire, and the Crystal Empire. By keeping this pressure up on the enemy, they had a chance to hold out.

But it was still a hard-fought battle, and The Nameless One's forces were everywhere seemingly, even on their very doorsteps. Today, for instance, a patrol of the enemy was trekking through the Everfree forest on their way to assault Discord's Castle in its center, with the intention of establishing a foothold there in that region.

"Must we take this god-forsaken forest? It gives me the chills!" one of the soldiers complained.

"Quiet!" a robot hissed. "If we take this place, we'll have gained a foothold in this region and the resistance groups will be unable to properly retaliate us when we strike again."

There was a sudden crack, and a dark fog started rolling through the forest, smothering the visibility completely as a dark shape suddenly darted through it, and a second later one of the robots was stabbed through the middle by a sharpened tree branch. The patrol glanced about rapidly.

"We're under attack!" one of them shouted. "Keep tight together!"

As soon as he had finished, a laser was fired off into one of them and the human fell to the ground dead. They all fired wildly at where the shot had come from, only to have another one of their men get down for the account from behind. There was a sudden flash of light, and a blast of energy slammed into one of the human soldiers, sending him flying backwards just as a double-bladed axe flew through the air and slammed into a robot, cutting it in half.

"Show yourselves!" one of the more rash bunch shouted.

"Where are you?!" another called, then suddenly found himself staring into a pair of glowing purple dragon eyes.

"Right here," a voice whispered, then the human was pulled into the thick underbrush before he could cry out again. Then suddenly, some humans among them lifted up in the air as they felt like something was gripping around their neck. They struggled to breath for a while, before all of them dropped dead on the ground. A pair of green cat eyes was suddenly staring out of the fog at one of the robots, just as a white fog shot towards it, enveloping it and whirling around it as the metal that made it up began to rust and age at an advanced speed. At the same time, a dark shape with golden eyes was darting through the fog, throwing lightning bolts into robots and humans left and right.

"Fall back! Call reinforcements!" one of them called. A human was just about to do so, but before he did a large wolf-like creature pounced upon him, its glowing green eyes staring into his own. The beast gave a growl before he bit into the man's neck and ended his life too. The enemy force was now reduced to a few members, who were now hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded. Then suddenly, they saw something pass through them swiftly, and before they could realize what had happened, many of the robots were sliced in half.

"Surrender now, and we'll possibly spare your lives!" A voice called from the fog, as the axe that had sliced a robot in half earlier suddenly appeared, held in the grasp of a unicorn who was wearing ethereal silver armor, and the blades were now glowing.

No guarantees!" Then a winged human appeared in front of them from the same direction. "I am still gonna have fun breaking their parts."

The robots simply frowned and aimed their weapons, but the humans threw down their arms and held their hands up in surrender.

"Cowards. Traitors," a robot captain accused them.

"They're the smart ones actually," a voice said, and a bipedal suit of armor stepped out of the fog, arms raised as blasters on its palms powered up with a low hum. "Now, unless you want holes in your middles, robots, I'd say you throw down your weapons."

Another figure, pony in shape, stepped out in white and black armor, aiming some kind of laser pistol attachments at them while standing on his hind legs.

"You'd be even dumber than the droids I fought back home if you keep this up," T-bone stated. The robots were silent, then pressed a button on their bodies, which made the humans jump for cover.

"They're gonna blow!" one of them shouted. All of a sudden, a beam of white energy slammed into the robots, and in almost five seconds they were frozen in a massive block of ice. The beam of energy continued as a white unicorn stepped out of the fog, her icy blue mane and tail standing out against her skin as she continued to cover the robots with even more ice. With a sigh, the humans waited as their captors revealed themselves and the fog cleared. The first to be revealed was the wolf-like creature, who happened to be a Timberwolf. He growled at them as a blue and green striped pegasus came out of the bushes and gave him a pat. His eyes were glowing purple ones, and they were dragon eyes too.

"Good job, Plank. Well done!" he said to the Timberwolf. The bipedal suit of armor lowered its arms as a light blue unicorn walked up beside it, slinging the axe over her back as her armor disappeared. Not to long after that, a black alicorn with golden eyes joined her, followed by another alicorn who had green cat eyes, and finally a third one who materialized out of a cloud of blue mist and glared at the human with narrowed cyan cat eyes. A few more figures who were standing there alongside them was a yellow haired human and at few steps away was standing a mysterious cloaked stallion.

"Good job, everybody," Zach complimented. "T-bone, nice shot! You managed to hit that one in the dark."

"It's what I do. I'm a soldier after all," the Clone-pony answered.

"Nobody's going to even compliment me on that throw?" Crystal Shard from Tempus's world, leader of Task Force Omega, asked. "I cleaved that robot straight in half! And I wasn't even really aiming cause I've never truly tried throwing that far before."

"I'll compliment you!" Red suddenly piped up as he hung upside down from a tree. "Especially since I've done throws just about as impressive."

"And, I guess I did nothing at all, right?" Joy said with somewhat sarcastic tone and gave a light chuckle.

"We've all done good. Now I suggest we bring these prisoners to their cells," Red remarked. "And lucky for them, they were headed that way for us already. That saved us half the trouble!"

The humans looked surprised. "That castle is your prisoner house?!"

Well, you'll soon find out," Evan said giving off a small laugh. The group got around the prisoners and they began escorting them to Discord's Castle of Chaos. They found it in an area where a bridge spanned over a gorge of some kind and even on the outside it was clear whose residence it was. There was the sound of something flying overhead, and Michael swooped down, landing in front of the group before he straightened from a crouch, his different colored eyes narrowed as he glared at the prisoners, before looking at Red.

"You all did good," the Pyrunian said. "How many casualties?"

"One hundred at least, and they were carrying these," Red answered, pulling out a sack of round metal spheres. "These bombs are real powerful. Just one is equivalent to several batches of TNT at once. I believe they were going to blow up the castle."

"And the Spirit of Chaos with it," Zach finished. "I hope Aunt Fluttershy is okay."

Michael grunted in response, before holding out a hand.

"I'll take the explosives." He said. "And I'll make sure they're stored somewhere safe."

"Just throw it in that trench the Hippogriffs showed us. It's a couple hundred thousand feet deep," Red suggested.

"No, that's where I've stored the relics," he told the hedgehog.

"You stole the relics from the Canterlot vault?!" T-bone exclaimed.

"Yep. Long before the invasion, Dad told me to move them to a safe location," Zach explained. "The Nameless One would just love to get his hands on those things."

Plank made a growl at the sound of that name, which Zach translated for them: "On that note, how in Tartarus is that guy still alive?!"

"He wasn't dead to start with..." Joy explained "After the defeat of... I can't remember clearly... that name... but Nameless One escaped from my Equestria... he never returned there again... but maybe he was just planning out this attack this whole time..."

"What I would give for Dad's insight on the matter right about now," Zach muttered.

"Or even Tempus's limited future sight," Michael said with a sigh. "I miss Tempus. Even though we fought every now and then, he was my closest friend."

"I miss William... he was like the one of the closest friend to me I ever known... partially because he was the first human I ever met..." Joy sighed.

"Why do you gripe while battle is still ripe?" a voice familiar to them all asked as another two figures trotted up behind them from the forest line; Zecora and Hummingbird.

"Zecora... Hummingbird..." Joy said as his smile widened a little. "It's so nice to see you two once again... I mean as nice as this can be in such situations..."

Michael turned to look at Zecora, smiling slightly as he saw her and Hummingbird.

"Zecora. Hummingbird," He said, nodding at them in greeting. "It is good to see you again."

"The same can be said for us too, my friend. But we have something to tell you with the time we can spend," Zecora remarked. Hummingbird nodded in agreement. Red nodded, then looked to the prisoners.

"Discord will take care of them now," he said. "Let him know we're here."

Plank nodded, then gave a howl from where he stood on the bridge. As soon as he did, the prisoners all disappeared in a flash of light. Michael glanced at the bag he held, before a blue mist-like fog encircled it. When it cleared, the bag was gone. The Pyrunian suddenly shifted forms into a strange pegasus with peach-colored skin, black dragon wings in place of normal wings, a black mane and tail, and his different colored eyes.

"What is it you have to tell us?" Michael asked, curious. Zecora gave them a grave expression.

"You know of The One with No Name, and of his current recovery in pain. But there is another he has coming for you, one who can control time too." She sighed. "He was summoned from a time that was broken, and against TD's family his thirst for revenge has spoken."

"Hmm... that's not good," Joy said as he looked towards Evan.

"I know, it's Chronothiris. SOMEONE accidentally messed up a timeline to free him from his prison..." Evan sighed. "I hate to break this to you, but without the power to manipulate time, no one can stop the Beast."

"This is when we could use Tempus the most..." Michael said sadly.

"If I somehow could get my book back then maybe..." Evan muttered. Chris let out a grunt.

"Anybody mind giving us the scoop on this Beast of Time?" He asked, still in his suit as he gestured at Task Force Omega.

"Well, how about this: a cruel and rouge beast who can control time, can travel into the past and future like we go back and forth in space, and extremely evil, with only purpose in his mind... to destroy the timelines for the fun of it or to manipulate people into destroying their own worlds..." Evan explained. "That enough of an explanation for you."

"Then I have to agree with Michael. Tempus's help here would be really useful," Chris said. "But he's dead, so is there any other option?"

"There's the Elements of Time, but we'd have to gather the wielders… but as of right now, they're useless because Celestia wielded the Element of Future… and she's dead," Michael said, dropping his voice in respect of the former ruler of Equestria.

"You say only ones who can manipulate time can stop him?" Red asked. "That's problematic indeed. I can manipulate time with the Phantom Ruby, but even then it's technically an illusion or false reality I would put him in and with his power he could disperse it."

"I can manipulate time, but I'm nowhere as strong as Dad was," Zach added.

"As I said, I can help to fight him if I have my book with me," Evan explained. Thunderstrike seemed to be thinking for a few seconds, before he raised his head, his golden eyes boring into Michael.

"There are the others. Then we could use the Elements of Time," he suggested slowly, and Michael's face paled.

"No. Absolutely not Thunderstrike. We're not bringing them here," the Pyrunian said, shaking his head viciously. "I won't allow it."

Even though no one seemed to listening but Evan continued. "My book has a relic in it, which allows me to navigate through time... I can fight him, if I could go to back to Canterlot to his ship ruins and somehow find it..."

"I'll get it for you guys," Red told them. "I've been designed to hide in plain sight and hide from armies like this before. I can slip in and out of Canterlot before they even know I'm there."

"There is still hope for you in the form of another," Zecora suddenly spoke up, not speaking in rhymes.

"What did you say Zecora?" Joy asked. "In the form of another...?"

Zecora gave a mysterious smile. "He can be as crazy as a loon, and I have a feeling you will meet him soon."

Just then, a call came in on the coms.

"Guys, we've got a problem!" Pinkie shouted in the coms. "Twilight and Princess Starlight are missing! I think they've been ponynapped!"

"Sweet mother of mine!" Joy shouted "Looks like troubles never gonna over!"

"And that's just the beginning. We've also got a disturbance down fifty miles south of the Shaded Hollows!" Ruby added. "Something of darkness..."

"I guess I'll off to Canterlot then..." Evan said as he covered his face with hood. "Red, you coming?"

"No, you stay and help the others. I've got Canterlot," Red told him.

"You sure?" Evan asked.

"Positive. They won't even know I was there," Red reassured. "Good luck to you all."

Red then took off in the direction of Canterlot like a speeding bullet.

"Want us to go try and locate Princess Twilight and Princess Starlight?" Crystal asked through the coms. "We're willing to do it."

"I will help too..." Joy said. "And before you say something, I insist."

"Please do!" Ruby pleaded over the coms. "We're a bit too busy on our end to check it out."

Joy nodded at this and looked to Crystal. "So, we start searching for them. Where they were last seen?" Joy asked in a thoughtful manner.

* * *

Twilight didn't even question why The Nameless One's men had stopped where they had, for it was all too obvious to her.

"End of the line," she muttered, looking up at her horn in defeat. It was being suppressed by a kind of clamp that prevented her from using her magic to escape. But what made things worst was that she wasn't alone in the cage. Tempus's Starlight Glimmer raised her head, her own horn's magic suppressed by a clip of the same kind. The alicorn princess was leaning against the wall of the cage, tears still in her eyes as she relived her husbands final moments over and over.

"We lost... not only the war, but our two strongest and most powerful fighters... without TD and Tempus, the little bits of resistance are going to fall, even with Michael trying to bring them back together," She said softly, looking at Twilight. "And the worst part is, neither of us got to say goodbye to our loved ones."

The cage opened and one of the guards, a robot, barked at them, "Move!"

Twilight gave them a calm and steady glare as she trotted out of the cage without a sound, determined not to give them the satisfaction of hearing her despair or beg. Starlight followed Twilight, glaring at them with a flame of anger in her eyes. She wasn't going to give them any satisfaction either, but she was going to let them know she hated their guts.

"Stand together," one of the robots ordered. Twilight did as told with a brave face, Starlight following suit. A large floating screen appeared and the face of The Nameless One appeared on it, staring at the two alicorns. He looked pretty torn up in the facial area alone and from what they had heard his fight with TD had wounded him too much to fight.

"Finally, I managed to capture you both," he smirked.

"Yay. Give yourself a medal," Twilight scoffed.

"You may have gotten us, but the others are still out there," Starlight snarled, her voice laced with venom. "There's still a chance they'll beat you!"

"Your executions will draw them out of hiding and show to the whole of my kingdom that resistance is futile," Nameless replied. "Sargent, proceed."

"Yes, my lord!" one of the robots answered with a salute, then all of the robots and humans nearby prepared their weapons.

"Take aim! On the count of three!"

Twilight closed her eyes and a small smile appeared on her face.

"We'll soon be together again... forever..." she whispered almost inaudibly. Starlight glared at the men and robots, before closing her eyes as she relaxed.

"Tempus... I'm coming..." She murmured almost inaudibly.

"One... two..." the Sargent started, but stopped when the sky was filled with dark clouds and a pool of darkness appeared nearby. Nameless, on his screen, smirked wickedly.

"It seems my sorcerers weren't useless after all," he stated as the shadowy darkness transformed into a form that Twilight and Starlight knew too well, even before his laugh confirmed it. Starlight opened her eyes, gulping as she felt her wings flare open in fear.

"The Pony of Shadows..." She whispered. The Nameless One glanced to the Pony of Shadows.

"Glad to see that you could make it," he remarked.

"I am in your debt for releasing me from that pitiful prison," The Shadow answered. "Now then, what seems to be happening here?"

"An execution," Nameless replied. "I was going to execute both of them, but I think I should save Miss Sparkle for you."

The Pony of Shadows got an evil smirk and turned to Twilight, who had by now opened her eyes. She gave him a glare but didn't speak. Starlight glared at The Pony of Shadows, before turning her attention to The Nameless One.

"For the record, if I'm going out, then these are what my last words are," she snarled. "Buck. You. To Tartarus."

"Flattering," Nameless remarked. The Shadow looked to Twilight in some amusement as she tried to use magic desperately.

"Please, allow me to assist," he said, then unexpectedly two large tentacles of darkness sprouted from his body and wrapped around their magic inhibitors. Then a dark pulse went down them and destroyed the inhibitors upon reaching them, much to the surprise on each side.

"There! Now you can use it freely," the Shadow stated.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The Nameless One demanded.

"Oh don't fret Nameless. After all..." The Shadow turned to the screen with one eye and a familiar smirk appeared in his eyes as he said something that The Pony of Shadows would never say, "I have been known to do the impossible."

It hit them all like a slap to the face.

"...William?" Twilight asked in utter disbelief. Starlight's jaw dropped.

"But... Tempus sensed you die!" She exclaimed, her voice shrill. She coughed, clearing her throat as she lit up her horn, ready to go on the defensive.

"Well, your husband has some tricks that I couldn't resist using myself to save myself from death," TD answered, this time his voice sounding like his own and his eyes turning red. The Nameless One finally overcame his shock.

"You... you... YOU SON OF A- HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"

"Quite easily," TD chuckled, then hollered, "Now, Tempus!"

"It's called a Time Remnant bucker!" Another familiar voice yelled, and a brown alicorn suddenly slammed into the ground beside TD, blasting a blast of magic at the robots and men lined up for the execution as his eyes glowed silver. "And it's something I've used in the past!"

"No! NO!" Nameless screeched, then in anger, "I swear to you, William. When I am healed, you are the first to die!"

"Yeah, until then enjoy the hospital," TD remarked, his horn glowing with darkness. "And this concludes our broadcast day. Adios!"

He fired a beam into the screen and it shattered with a satisfying explosion.

"And now we go back to screwing up Nameless's plans." Tempus said as he took to the air. "But I think we should get rid of any of his followers in the vicinity. Don't you agree TD?"

Starlight was silent, staring at her husband with tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry about that now," TD reassured. "We're in no danger currently; this was all he had. Apparently, he didn't want any of our friends to know-"

"Hold it!" Twilight shouted. "How? Why? What is going on?! Could somepony please explain what happened?"

TD chuckled. "It's a long story...

* * *

 **-Explanation-**

Tempus walked along slowly, glancing around as he walked, his glowing red cat eyes narrowed as he walked. The attack on Canterlot from the Nameless One had not killed him, contrary to popular belief, but he was terribly wounded and was trying to find a place to stay where he wouldn't be discovered. Things were not looking good for Equestria and he had to hurry...

Suddenly, he heard a rustling from a bush nearby and a voice shout, "Turn around slowly!"

That voice... it was familiar. But... could it be?

Tempus froze, turning his head so that he could see behind him with a single eye. Though the figure he saw was covered in a few scratches and he looked as if he had just gone through hell, he recognized that face a mile away.

"William?" He asked, his voice surprised. The human in question smiled weakly.

"Tempus..." he managed before collapsing on the ground, clutching his side. Tempus rushed to his side, lowering his head and shoving it under TD, lifting the human onto his back.

"How long have you been wandering around?" He asked.

"How long has it been since Canterlot?" TD asked himself, then after some silent math, "At least a week. And even then, I spent a good week before that unconscious near the point of death. Boy, did that piss Greg off!"

"How are you even alive?" Tempus asked, turning his head to look at TD, a barely healed wound stretching down his neck. "I _felt_ you die William. I sensed it."

TD smirked, despite his pain. "How about I put it to you like this: thanks Tempus. That's one more trick up my sleeve I can use."

Tempus grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"You cheeky little..." he said, before trailing off, chuckling. "Well, I guess I'm in good company then."

TD chuckled a bit too, then got serious.

"Everyone thinks I'm dead, don't they?" he muttered, then with noticeable sadness, "Even... Twilight?"

Tempus nodded, smiling sadly.

"They do... Twilight lost it..." Tempus said, before adding softly. "So did I... and I went so fast at the enemy I created a Time Remnant... and let's just say that _I_ overshot while the Remnant... let's just say that you're not alone in the boat you're in."

TD nodded gravely, then struggled to his feet.

"My powers are gone," he stated. "The Remnant has temporarily weakened them, and I can't wait around for the power to return. So, I'm about to try something that is very risky." He pointed towards a certain location in the distance: The Shaded Hollows. "That's where I'm headed."

"Well, I'm with you. Everypony thinks I'm dead as well," Tempus said, his glowing red cat eyes tearing up. "I... I don't even know what watching me die did to my sisters and my Starlight."

"Then let's get moving. The advantage of being dead is that not even your enemy searches for you," TD remarked. He started to walk off, but then gasped sharply in pain. Taking deep breaths, he snapped his fingers and reverted to his pony form.

"On second thought, I'm staying in this form," he stated. "It's more durable, it hasn't been damaged much, and considering that I'd be a pony without my magic, it technically uses less energy."

He then trotted back towards the Shaded Hollows, this time without difficulty. Tempus trotted after him, closing his eyes as he inhaled sharply, putting a hoof to his chest as he stumbled.

"Stupid..." he muttered, taking a sharp, gasping breath. "Ribs still hurt after smashing through that mountain..."

 **-One hour later-**

"His goons have been here..." TD muttered, looking about the place as he neared where he was trying to get to; the Well of Shame. He looked down the hole, noticing the makeshift staircase that reached down into the depths. "Well, beats the drop."

"Well, one second." Tempus said, as his shape flashed with light and he turned into a red-scaled dragon with yellow eyes. "I'll clear it. Wait here."

Without waiting for an answer, he started climbing downwards. Down in the depths, he found several human bodies, all of them dead and stinking of dark magic and all of them bearing the banner of The Nameless One. Apparently, they had been conducting some kind of ritual and had failed miserably. However, as TD slowly descended behind him, he made a small gasp.

"They were close..." he muttered. "They were trying to bring the Pony of Shadows back from Limbo." He grinned as he picked up a journal from one of them that was covered in weird symbols. "And did more than half the work for me in the process."

Tempus looked over TD's shoulder, narrowing his eyes. "What are you up to TD?"

TD's response was to open the book.

"I'm about to do something that I haven't done in forever..." he managed, then started chanting from the text in the book. As he did, a roar of thunder was heard in the sky outside the Well of Shame and TD's horn was glowing dangerously bright. After a moment, he fired a white beam at the opposite wall from him and it stopped in midair, turning into a swirling cloud of pure darkness. Tempus took a step backwards, his own horn lighting up with his dark blue magic as he narrowed his eyes.

"Please tell me that's not who or what I think it is..."

"It is," TD admitted as the shadows started to pool on the ground and form a notoriously familiar figure.

 _This is crazy,_ he thought as the Shadow Alicorn started to take form with an evil laugh. _Stay calm. Just think positive. Think positive..._

"I AM POSITIVE THIS IS CRAZY!" he shouted aloud, then ran headlong into the Pony of Shadows just as it had taken form. His form was disolved into the Shadow and for a moment, all that could be heard was the laughter of the Pony of Shadows. Then suddenly, his white eyes turned red and Tempus heard TD's voice emitt from his form.

"Shadow of Darkness, enemy of light  
Bond with my soul and give me your might!  
But even if you must endure many scars,  
Just remember who's in charge!"

The eyes closed and the Pony of Shadows shrieked in pain, falling to the ground. Tempus's eyes widened.

"TD, you crazy... did you just bond with the bucking Pony of Shadows?!" He yelled, shocked. The response was a loud gasp from the Pony of Shadows, as if one had held his breath for too long. Then the eyes turned red again and TD's voice was heard as the Shadow's mouth moved.

"It worked! Haha! IT WORKED!" TD shouted, laughing like an idiot.

"I'll take that as a yes." Tempus muttered, taking a step forwards before letting out a yelp and falling to one knee, putting a hoof to his chest. "Bucking... ribs... why the buck... isn't my accelerated healing from super speed... working?" He hissed, his eyes screwed up in pain.

TD grimaced. "I think you're having the same problem I was having. Don't worry, your powers didn't have as bad an aftereffect as my own. Yours should return to full strength in another hour if my calculations are correct."

"Still bucking hurts..." Tempus snarled as he managed to stand.

"I could try healing you with the dark powers I now wield, but then you'd risk corruption. And I think the last thing we ne-"

TD stopped midsentence and frowned, then his eyes opened wide with alarm.

"Twilight! She's in trouble!" TD shouted. "We have to go, now!"

Tempus raised his eyes, which narrowed, before he let out a growl and slammed a hoof into the ground. His eyes faded back to green, before beginning to glow silver as he called upon his powers as Guardian of Time.

"Trying something... one second," he said, before suddenly freezing in place. About ten seconds later, he stumbled forwards, his eyes fading back to green as he gasped, drawing in massive lungfuls of air as sweat dripped from his face.

"What'd you do?" TD inquired.

"Sped up time around myself... to an hour... in the future..." Tempus panted. "Risked... tearing myself... in half..."

"Well, if it works I'm not complaining," TD remarked. "Now, let's go help our friends and our families, shall we?" His eyes glared out at the exit to the Well of Shame. "I've got a score to settle with an old enemy."

"And I'll help you." Tempus growled, standing straight as his eyes began to glow bright silver. "Let's show them that death doesn't come so easily to Guardians of Existence."

TD nodded, then his expression softened a bit as he walked up so the sky could be seen above him.

"Hold on my North Star. I'm coming," he said softly, then his body dissolved into shadows and shot up into the sky, disappearing in a flash of light upon hitting cloud level. Tempus lowered his head, before raising it again, his silver eyes now bearing his glowing red cat eyes from his merged personalities.

"I'm coming, my family." He said, before his own form dissolved into a cloud of dark blue mist (which he got from copying Nightmare) and shot after TD, also disappearing in a flash when he hit cloud level.

 **-End of explanation-**

* * *

"So... he's alive because of one of your spells?" Twilight asked Tempus.

"Why does everyone... you know what, yes, he's alive because of a spell he copied off of me." Tempus said, sighing.

"And what about you? You were killed as well!" Starlight exclaimed.

"TD can tell you all about what I did," Tempus said with a chuckle. "I pulled the stunt I did when I was fighting Herobrine a while ago."

"Basically, we moved so fast, that what they killed was a remnant of our actual being left behind," TD explained. "So, yeah! We're fine."

"And you bonded with the Pony of Shadows just because your powers weren't back yet?" Twilight asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it was either that or you'd be dead," TD said sheepishly. Twilight took to the count of three, then suddenly squealed with joy and tackled him to the ground.

"Oh, I don't have the heart to be mad at you! I'm just so glad you're alive!" she shouted gleefully, tears streaming down her face. TD recovered from his surprise to give her a hug.

"I missed you too... my little North Star..." he answered just as emotionally.

"I.. I..." Starlight said, before also squealing with joy and taking off, slamming into Tempus and knocking the both of them out of the sky. "I should be mad at you for not telling me you were still alive, but I'm just to happy!" she shouted.

"Yeah, I probably should have..." Tempus said, chuckling, embarrassed.

"Alright, everyone hands..." A voice suddenly yelled, and they all turned to find a group of four ponies and a bipedal in armor standing on top of a small hill nearby. Out of the ponies, three of them were alicorns while the fourth was a unicorn, who had a double-bladed axe slung across her back. Tempus glanced at TD and grinned.

"I think we found Task force Omega." he said, before adding. "Or more appropriately, they found us."

TD gave them a sheepish smile, his form temporarily changing back to a human form, shocking them even further.

"Surprised? So am I," he said to them. In a while, Joy along with Zach, Evan, and Plank also reached them and recognized the human figure standing beside three alicorns and one unicorn.

"William!" He couldn't believe on his eyes. He rushed towards him as he yelled, "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

"DAD!" Zach teleported over to TD even as he stood and braced himself for the hug, catching his son the instant he appeared.

"I missed you so much..." Zach whispered, crying a little.

"I know buddy. I missed you too," TD answered, then looked up in time to catch Plank and Joy as they came over to him too. "Hey guys! Good to see you again!"

Plank gave TD's face several licks as he whined happily.

"Annnddd no love for me I suppose," Tempus said wryly, smiling.

TD chuckled. "Come on everyone! Group hug!"

"Yay!" Joy exclaimed childishly at this. Tempus smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not really that into group hugs TD..." he began, only to yelp as Starlight grabbed him and pulled him over.

"Too bad!" his wife said, and the alicorn sighed.

"Should have known this would happen," he muttered.

"Group hugs are great!" Evan exclaimed with a chuckle. "Take that from the one who knows!"

After the group hug, TD looked to his friends.

"So, where to now, friends?" he asked. As if to be a jerk just then, the coms went off.

"Guys, we need some assistance back in Ponyville!" Diego's voice shouted. "The Nameless One's men are attacking, and leading them is some kind of... man made of fire."

TD's eyes lit up in shock as did Zach's.

"Philip," they both said at once. Tempus gave a low growl as his eyes turned red, and then he grinned as his coat darkened and his teeth became jagged.

 **"Why don't we go crash the party?"** he asked.

Evan looked towards at TD at this and sighed. "Honestly William, sometimes I wonder what should I consider you to be?"

"What do you mean?" TD asked.

"Nothing..." Evan said, clearly hiding something. TD gave him a look, then sighed.

"We'll have to talk later. Now's not the time," he said, then looked to Tempus. "Uh... think you could do the honors this time? I'm still a bit... low."

Tempus nodded, before his eyes narrowed and with a flash of white light he teleported all of them back to Ponyville, barely even staggering when they reappeared in the town.

 **"I've been practicing teleporting with my Chaos magic,"** He said, before looking around. **"Now, let's find the battle."**

As soon as he said that, an explosion occurred near them as they now took a closer look around and realized that they were actually in the middle of the fighting.

"Ah, we found them!" TD quipped, then added, "But in all seriousness, we should help."

"Ya think?!" Twilight deadpanned.

 **"For once, I agree with exactly what Twilight said,"** Tempus said, before grinning cockily and zooming off, slamming into a group of enemy fighters and sending them flying with a blast of magic.

"Alright!" Joy raged and transformed as he jumped into the fighting as well. Evan's scythe appeared in his hoof as he was teleported towards the battle.

"Here we go again."

TD gave a sigh. "Alright Pony of Shadows, let's see what you can do."

With a laugh, he transformed into said dark being, keeping his eyes a red color and his voice normal for obvious reasons. He then fired off multiple blasts of darkness into the enemies as they appeared. He found this quite enjoyable to some extent.

"Man! These powers rock!" he cheered.

 **"Focus on the fight TD, not the powers!"** Tempus admonished as he raced past, slamming into the soldier that was fighting Michael and throwing him aside, causing the Pyrunian to stagger backwards in shock.

"Tempus...?" he began, but the alicorn cut him off.

 **"Yeah, I'm still alive. Get over it."**

"William?" Joy said as he looked towards his friend who was in the form of the Pony of Shadows right now, and barely dodged a blow by a robot nearby. "You never learn, do you?"

"Nope!" TD called.

"I thought so," Joy gave a smirk as he flew into the air and gave a loud shout, exploding an shockwave towards the enemies. TD launched into the air and smashed down among a crowd of enemies, surprising friend and foe alike when his image turned back into a human form.

"Guess who's back from the dead, motherbuckers?!" he screeched hysterically, firing more blasts of darkness into the enemy.

"Uncle William!" Sunny shouted as he recognized that voice and looked towards his direction. "He's alive!" she shouted with a tearful smile. "He's back! Mortem, you see that?"

"I... don't believe it..." Mortem remarked. "He's alive! And... Dad too!" He was also looking joyfully surprised. "They're back!"

"Oh, they are alright!" Sunny exclaimed. "I am so thankful for this."

"Hey, does anyone know who's defending this place?" TD asked around. "He's about ye high, looks like a Changeling."

"I'm right here," Chuck replied, his voice far from jovial as he flew up in the suit. "Happy to see you back. Pleasant surprise I must admit."

"It's nice to see you too, even if you don't like to see me too often," TD answered.

"Oh, for once you two, just shut it and get along until the enemy is gone," Cindy complained.

"Cindy, please," Chuck replied. "I said I was happy to see him, sweet Shiva," he griped.

"So, how have you been since my fourteen day absence?" TD asked.

"Oh swell! I swear, I'm the only reason no one's breached this place yet," Cindy remarked. "And it's awesome!"

"I was talking to Chuck, but nice to know!" TD chuckled.

"Just fine... On your left," Chuck said, firing at an enemy on his left.

"Thank you!" TD answered, firing several dark spikes into the enemy. "Have you had any trouble?"

"No trouble that can't be solved with more violence," he said, launching a frag grenade at a group of nearby attackers. "Serves you right," he muttered.

"Glad to know man!" TD cheered. Just then, there was a loud explosion and TD looked to the side. "Ah crap! I'll be back!"

He charged off into the battle once more, just as Cindy detected something nearby.

"Look out!" she shouted, making the suit dodge out of the way faster than Chuck could react as a burst of fire flew past and a man made of fire floated up into the sky at their level.

"Just as I thought I understood this place..." Chuck muttered in a sigh.

"William, you don't know..." Joy spoke as he was rushing towards the crowd of enemies. "Not everything's been the same since you left..." He used his weapon to throw some enemies away. "We lost... Princess... Celestia!" Joy shouted while stabbing his weapon into a robot's chest.

"WHAT?!" TD roared. "Darn it Joy, now I'm pissed!"

More darkness erupted from him and started destroying enemies with gusto. As he did, he couldn't help but notice Chuck's predicament.

"Darn it... I gotta move fast!" he growled to himself. Meanwhile, with Chuck, the fiery man looked amused to see the Changeling monarch.

"What's this I see? One of Father's pitiful friends with a metal mask on?" the fiery man taunted.

"Watch it bub," Cindy warned. "I've got some water canisters with your name on it."

"Try me, flamer," Chuck snarled.

"You think can seriously take me on?" the fire man chuckled as he unleashed a fiery barrage upon them. Cindy's response was to fire several bursts of water and ice from her blasters that extinguished the steam.

"Oh we know we can take you on, big boy. The real question is if you can handle us!" Cindy taunted, sounding a little like she was flirting.

"Keep it in your cyber-pants," Chuck droned. "I need hyrdo everything on Flaming Moe here. Put his fire out," he ordered.

"With pleasure!" Cindy chuckled, firing up several water and ice-themed rockets into Philip, who seemed hurt bad judging from the steam coming off his body. He struggled and fired back, but Cindy clearly had the upper hand on this guy, and superior reflexes too. She dodged, parried, flew circles around him, and basically made him look like a fool at first. Unfortunately, that's when trouble started brewing.

"ENOUGH!" Philip shouted as a familiar energy fired from his body and made the suit have an EMP effect.

"Uh oh..." Cindy remarked, somehow not deactivated herself.

"Cindy..." Chuck said, feeling alarmed. "What's happening?"

"We're in a free fall! I can't get the systems online!" she answered in a panic. "Oh, I'm having flashbacks. I'm having flashbacks!"

Chuck remembered the last time this happened. "Oh, marvelous. Just marvelous."

Cindy frantically searched for anything in the systems that would help, but the only thing she could sense was online at the moment was the eject system. Meaning she couldn't save both of them. The ground got closer, then she abruptly shouted, "F**k it! I'm not having a repeat!"

Chuck was suddenly ejected from the suit and a parachute opened up later to slow his fall, but Cindy and the suit plummeted to earth, causing a crater to occur, along with a slight explosion from the suit.

"NO!" Chuck exclaimed. "Cindy, no!" he wailed.

Chuck descended to the ground and the parachute came undone immediately, as if sensing his distraught. At that point, another voice shouted from across the town.

"CINDY!" Red called out, rushing towards them. He was holding a book of some kind in his hands. As he ran, he tossed the book up to Evan, who had teleported up to confront Philip.

"You may need this!" he shouted, then continued with Chuck toward the sparking, flaming suit. Evan caught the book and gave him a smirk.

"Thanks Red."

"Frag, frag frag frag!" Chuck griped, descending into the small crater. "C'mon soldier, don't quit on me..."

Red reached Cindy's side just as Chuck did, sliding to a stop on his knees, not caring if they got scratched up; his healing factor would take care of it.

"Cindy... come on, speak to me old girl!" Red pleaded. When he did, one of the visor's eyes light up and fired out a small continuous beam like from an old movie player, revealing a life-sized realistic hologram of a female Mobian skunk with green eyes wearing a yellow dress lying on the ground. The hologram looked so realistic, that if they didn't know any better they'd have thought it was the real thing. The only thing that ruined it was that her image occasionally turned to static, signaling her damaged state. She looked up at Chuck and smiled, a tear rolling down her hologram's face. [For this part, any part of Cindy's dialogue with ...'s is her image going to static while speaking.]

"You're alive..." she managed.

"Of course," he replied. "I'm a little more worried about you. Call me crazy, but AI is still intelligence in my books."

"Cindy, you're gonna be alright," Red tried to reassure, then struggled to open up the compartment where her chip was inserted, but it was jammed shut.

"Leave it, Red," she told him. "You'll just damage me more... Front hoof..."

Red opened a compartment on the front hoof and found a chip that he took, much like the one that contained the AI. But it wasn't her chip that he had pulled out.

"What's this?" Red asked.

"I guess... you could say it's a portion of me," Cindy remarked, her image turning into static mid-sentence. "Kept it in case of... this kind of moment."

Red realized what she meant by that and his face lit up with emotion.

"No... nonono! Don't talk like that!" he demanded, crying a bit. "Don't you do it!"

"What's she talking about?" Chuck asked.

"She's... she's..." Red stammered.

"Red..." Cindy spoke up. "Stop fussing... over me like I'm an... organic being like your friends-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Red shouted tearfully. "I'M NOT LOSING ANOTHER FRIEND!"

"It doesn't matter; born or built, you're our friend," Chuck pleaded. "Just... hang on."

"It's... too late for me sir..." Cindy stated, managing to get to her knees with her hologram as her image had more frequent static bursts while talking. "My luck... had to run... out sooner or... later. This is... the end of... the line for... me."

"Don't talk like that. We'll... we'll reboot you! Turn you off and on again, something's got to work!" Chuck bargained. Red, meanwhile, was desperately trying to open the suit, even using a crowbar, but in vain. Cindy simply smiled and one of her hologram's hands held Chuck's mismatched hoof in it. Chuck was a bit surprised to learn that he could actually feel her hand as if it was a solid living creature.

"Before... I go... I want to confess... something to you... Gareth," she said, using his real name. "When we met again... after all those... years from the Crossover... I actually developed... a crush on you... I didn't show it or talk... about it, because we both... know it wouldn't... have worked. I'm an AI... a computer that... happens to have emotions and rational thought. You're... a Changeling, a real... living organic... being. Besides... you're married... you have a... family and a hive... to take care of... And I didn't... want to come between... you... and your... family."

"Well... had I known..." Chuck began. "I mean, had I known it wouldn't have actually changed anything, but... I'll miss you Cindy..." He sighed. "And, had maybe you been real, or I had been an AI or... well..." His face drooped. "Please, I can't lose you."

Cindy smiled and laid her hand on his chest, even as her image became more and more static.

"I'll... always... be... right... here..." she said. Then she laid a quick kiss on his cheek. "Farewell... old... friend..."

Her image soon disappeared abruptly and the visor went dark as a sparking noise was heard inside the helmet.

"No... no... NO!" Red cried, angrily slamming his palm on the metal suit as his tears came faster. "Cindy!"

"And the auld triangle... went jingle jangle, along the banks of the royal canal..." Chuck hummed solemnly. "Goodnight, sweet princess," he sighed, a tear rolling down his cheek. Red eventually sighed too, and looked to the chip in his hand. He made a sound that sounded like a groan and put it away.

"I'll... fulfill your wish," he said softly. "You will be rebuilt... and even if it's not truly you I build... I'll never forget you."

"Here here," the monarch nodded solemnly.

* * *

"Before, you do something foolish, I am giving you the chance to retreat..." Evan said to flame boy in front of him.

"Retreat? Never," Philip remarked. "Not until my father pays for what he did to me!"

"Your choice!" Evan's voice echoed around them as his eyes started to glow and his book floated in front of him.

"Oh, now I'm really scared!" Philip scoffed. "I possess my father's power! What chance do you have against me?!"

"You wanna risk this!" Evan spoke in an echoing voice, seemingly scoffing him. "Alright, you go first!"

Philip growled, then unleashed another barrage of fire, fueled by TD's power instilled into him through blood relationship as it surged towards Evan. As this, Evan approached him, the fire completely engulfing the Planes-Walker, seemingly burning him along with his book. All of his friends were in shock as they saw this and seemingly realized that another of their friend was done for.

"No! EVAN!" Ruby shouted from down below, her Silver Eyes activating in her rage. Philip hissed as he felt her powers hurt him a bit and fired a burst of fire at the huntress as well. Her aura managed to protect her from most of the flames, but the huntress still felt the pain of the fire and fell to the ground, her silver eyes fading away when she did.

But as Philip was about to retaliate, Evan suddenly appeared near to him, startling him in the process.

"My turn!" He smirked as a sharp swirling icy wind was blown towards Philips, which started to engulf him within ice, and in a few moments froze him solid. He fell to the ground with a thud and Evan landed beside him, breathing heavily.

"And for the record, your father isn't the strongest being of this multiverse." Evan smiled as he looked towards the others. "I guess, you were scared for a while."

 **"For the record, totally not,"** Tempus said with a smirk. **"Didn't sense your death, so yeah, not surprised."**

"Nice to see you're alright." Joy sighed in relief "Don't wanna lose any one again..."

Suddenly, the ice around Philip broke away and the fiery human was now surrounded by a larger cloak of flames; flames that were black.

"YOU CAN'T KILL ME WITH THAT!" he screeched. "I am untouchable by your spells! My master has already studied that one!" The entire sky suddenly seemed to be full of flames. "Time to die!"

"PHILIP!" TD's voice suddenly called out, causing him to stop and his flames turn to normal as he turned to face TD. He was standing before him in human form, looking to his son with a saddened expression. Evan grunted in anger, as his plan to stop Philip had failed.

"Why did you have to make such OP characters?!" Evan shouted looking towards the sky.

"That's a good point." Chuck mentioned. "I have zip for powers, and I'd say I'm better for it."

"Philip..." TD spoke to the flaming being, "Please don't do this."

"Why not? What would you hope to gain or see in me?" he growled.

"I want to see my little boy," TD answered with emotion cracking his voice. "The little one I cradled in my arms, the one who I would spend hours with no matter how tired I was, the Philip I know and love."

Chris shot by overhead through the sky, firing at enemies as he thought to himself, before grunting as he realized what to do.

"Gideon... activate the Mark V," Chris said, and there was a pause.

"Sir, the Mark V isn't tested yet..." Gideon began, and Chris cut him off.

"I don't care! Activate the Mark V!" he shouted as he landed well outside the battle lines as a loud boom sounded as a suit shot out of the sky, hurtling towards him even as he stepped out of his current armor. The new suit landed and immediately formed around him, and Chris took off immediately, grinning as he shot through the air even faster then he had in the Mark II.

"Let's show them what this bad boy has to offer," he said as he raised his right arm, and fired a continuous blast of energy into a row of enemies, blasting them backwards before he soared into the sky again.

"I don't know anymore..." Joy said as he saw TD talking with their enemy's commander and calling him... his son? "Is there something about him which isn't insane...?"

Philip continued to stare at his father and anger was seen in his eyes.

"You should have thought of that... BEFORE YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!" he yelled, firing black flames at the entity, who barely managed to avoid them before the fiery being collided into him, landing blow after blow upon him.

"You never thought I was special! I was always the failure in your family tree!" he shouted. "You always looked to me as if I was worthless! Well now see the power I wield!"

He threw TD into the sky and used his magic to fling him into a building and toss him about.

"Tell me how proud you are, father!" he spat, but he also sounded a bit desperate. "Tell me! Tell me! TELL ME!"

TD finally came to a grinding halt before Philip as his friends all gasped in surprise.

"That's enough!" came a loud voice, and Michael shot through the air, slamming into the ground a few feet away from Phillip and TD as ice and frost started to form in a five-foot circle around him. He raised the Sword of Death, whose blade was smoking with frost, and pointed it at Philip.

"You hurt my friend one more time, and I'll show you true power from a race more ancient than you can imagine," the Pyrunian growled softly. Joy landed there in a moment as well, making cracks on the ground beneath his feet as he was burning with his red aura.

"You won't hurt him anymore, you hear that!" he shouted, pointing his weapon at the monster.

"I waited too long for this!" Philip shouted. "And no hand-me-down wannabe hero is gonna-"

"I... am proud..." TD managed, shocking Philip as he abruptly stopped speaking and turned to see TD struggling to his feet.

"From the very moment you were born... I've always been proud of you," TD continued softly. "And because of my pride... I asked too much from you... wanted to see you as one to fight and conquer the universe by my side. As such... I allowed my darker side to run amok with you and take what he pleased from you... Darkness clouded my vision, and made me into a monster when I should've been your father. I know it won't fix anything... but I'm sorry." Philip didn't seem to believe what he was hearing and just stood there as TD finished. "I'm sorry I killed your mother, sorry for using you as a tool and treating you like dirt, sorry for pushing you too far and asking too much of you... I'm sorry... for everything. And if you must kill me, know that I have and always will love you... my little prince..."

Michael stayed silent, waiting to see what would happen, keeping his sword at the ready. Philip finally spoke, and he sounded a bit emotional too.

"You... haven't called me that since-" He shook his head. "Stop it! Stop tricking me!" He raised his hand, but hesitated again. "I must kill you! I must take everything from you like you did to me... so why does it hurt to do it? Why does it hurt so much inside?!"

"Because deep down, you know what the right thing to do is," Michael said.

"You can't deny that you still love your father," Joy said with a somewhat caring voice. "Maybe, you're not a monster after all, just a cranky child..."

Philip looked between them, then raised his hand again and stopped it midway once more. Then he roared with anger and slammed the ground, creating a mini burnt crater. He breathed heavily, then activated his coms.

"Men... withdraw,'" he ordered.

"Sir?" a voice on the other line asked.

"You heard me, soldier," he retaliated, then looked back to TD. "I spare you this one time, father. But if we ever meet again... I will kill you myself."

He then disappeared in a fiery explosion, and TD smirked when he was gone.

"He didn't promise that would be the case," he noted with a smile.

"Sweet Shiva..." Chuck muttered under his breath.

"You really like pushing your luck, don't you?" Michael asked.

"Eh... a little," TD admitted. Chris suddenly landed nearby, looking straight at TD.

"TD, Gideon's scanners have picked up several ships approaching at hyper travel. They'll be here in a few moments," the human said.

"Uh... is that good or bad?" TD asked.

"Guess we'll find out," Bill muttered.

"Hopefully good, I don't think we really need things getting any worse," Chuck remarked.

The irony that will come... (Yeah, I haven't spoken much during this; this story is much more serious, that's why)

"Dad! Dad! Come quick!" Chuck heard his eldest and only son, Sterling call, Sugar Plum running beside him, neither looking very jovial.

"What is it?" Chuck asked.

"It's Sweet Tooth!" Sugar Plum answered. "Something's wrong with her! I don't know what... we need you back at the hive now!"

Chuck looked to the others, and back at his children.

"You take care of those ships, I've got to go see my kid!" he told them, running off with Sterling and Sugar Plum.

"Sweet Tooth?" TD looked back, then Bill walked over to him.

"I can take control just a while longer, TD," he said. "You see what's wrong."

TD nodded and rushed off after them. Zach watched, then he too rushed after him, for Sweet Tooth had been one of his friends since foalhood.

While that was going on, Evan teleported towards a slightly wounded Ruby and offer her a hoof to get up with a gentle smile on his muzzle.

"Thanks," she said as she stood to her feet and looked back down at him.

"It's okay..." Evan said. "Thanks you, for being kind enough to worry over such a useless soul as me." Evan held up his hoof as two metallic gauntlets with three different colored hexagonal gems attached to both, appeared floating over it. "Take these," Evan said "To help you for upcoming fights..."

Ruby looked to them with a look of awe, then looked back to Evan as one of his sentences registered to her.

"Useless? What do you mean?" she demanded, surprising for a girl who was still quite young.

"I mean, my life isn't worth more than a young one like yourself..." Evan chuckled. "Just take them, my hoof is tiring a little."

Ruby obliged and took the gauntlets, but was still not done talking to him.

"Hey, you don't have to feel like your life's worth less than my own or that you're a useless soul," she told him. "If anything, your life is worth just as much as mine, if not more."

"Okay..." Evan passed her a smile. "Now... don't you wanna try your new equipment?"

"Well, unarmed combat is mostly Yang and Diego's thing, but I'll give it a try," Ruby answered, putting the gauntlets on. As she wore them, some kind of light shone from the gems and she soon found herself wearing some armor perfectly fit to her.

"Looks good?" Evan asked with a smile. "You are the second person to wear the Gauntlets of Uristuma. Now you hold the power to crack even the hardest of diamonds, and to some extent have unlimited invincibility!"

"Wow! This is the greatest gift I've ever gotten!" Ruby squealed, then rushed over and gave Evan a big hug. "Thank you so much!"

"It's alright, I am glad you like them," Evan said and returned the hug. In a few moments, he released her and gave her a smile.

"Well, I need to get going," Ruby said as she took the gauntlets off for a moment. "After that attack from Philip, I need to get my burns checked or Yang might scold me for not taking care of myself. See you around, Evan!"

She ran off towards the med bay, occasionally using her Semblance to swiftly fly over large distances.

"Take care," Evan said and then he disappeared as well.

* * *

"Come on, we have no time to lose." Chuck said, running faster. At the hive, he was greeted by Pinkie Pie, and her expression didn't exactly settle with Chuck well.

"Come on," She told them, rushing them to the medical ward.

"I'm back for barely a day, and already things are not going well," TD muttered along the way; he sounded as if he didn't want to go along, but in truth he was very concerned for Sweet Tooth.

"Oh, please be alright!" Zach said aloud as he galloped past his father.

"It doesn't look good," Sugar Plum said, entering the ward. Inside, Sweet Tooth lay atop a medical bed, Changeling doctors and medics surrounding her.

"Dr. Hivemind, what's going on?" Chuck asked the nearby doctor.

"It's worst than I had hoped, my king," Hivemind answered. "She's suffering from a disease that is common among Royal Changelings, and though rare at her young age, it's not unheard of. The ponies have a fancy name for it and each hive has a different word for it, but we just call it... The Royal Disease." He hung his head as TD and Zach entered just then. "I'm sorry your majesty, but there's no known cure for it. The most we can do at this point is make her comfortable before she..."

He didn't finish, for it was too obvious what was implied. Zach and TD looked alarmed, Zach more so.

"You mean... you can't fix her?" he asked. Color faded from Chuck and Pinkie's faces. Chuck managed to keep his composure but the news caused Pinkie to fall down and start weeping at their daughter's bed. Sweet Tooth looked at her crying mother, then up at her father.

"Dad... Mom.. I'm sorry."

"No, no... this isn't your fault," Chuck reassured her. "It could have happened to any one of us, it should have happened to me." He gripped her hoof.

"Sweet Tooth..." Sterling felt a lump in his throat, knowing he'd be losing his twin forever. Zach closed his eyes and his wings glowed for a moment before returning to normal. In a short moment, an image suddenly phased through one of the walls nearby and Diana trotted over to them.

"Zach just told me..." she said, then looked down to her friend with tear filled eyes. "I'm here now... I would've come sooner if I knew..."

"We all would have," Chuck nodded.

"II'S NOT FAAAIIIRR!" Pinkie wailed, sobbing as she cried out.

"Sweet Tooth..." Sugar Plum started. "I... I don't know..."

Sweet Tooth nodded, knowing that Sugar Plum didn't need to say anything; the sentiment was known.

"No parent should be forced to outlive their child," Chuck griped, a lump forming in his throat. "Especially not in this way."

"I'm sorry, your highness, but there's nothing that can be done," Hivemind lamented.

"Dad... it's nothing that can be controlled..." Sweet Tooth reassured him. TD finally walked forward and knelt down beside her bed.

"I haven't been the best of uncles, or the most interactive for that one," he said. "I annoy your dad, your mom, the Changelings in this hive... basically, I'm just as much a pain as I am a friend to them all." He sighed and placed a hand on the bedside, gripping it so his knuckles turned extremely white as he tried to hold back the tears. "But I won't lie when I say... I'm really going to miss you. And if I've ever done anything to offend you, then I'd like to apologize for it now."

"All is forgiven." Sweet Tooth nodded. Her limbs grew limp, and her breaths started to have more weight. She took one last look at her family, who had gotten closer as these phenomenons started.

"G... G... Goodbye you guys... I.. I love you," She smiled, saying her passing words, her eyes drooped shut and her head fell to the pillow, life leaving her body. There was a haunting silence as she passed, Chuck and Pinkie exchanged glances, then looked to their two remaining children.

"It's... it's alright children..." Chuck spoke. "Life is full of greetings and partings... and... and we will never forget Sweet Tooth, one of the first partings among our family."

He took off his crown and hung his head as he and his family sang a sad song in memory of her.

 **Chuck:** _Was a fool with my money_  
 _And I lost every dime_  
 _And the sun stopped shining_  
 _And it rained all the time_  
 _Did set me back some_  
 _But I made it through_  
 _But I'll never get over losing you_

 **Sugar Plum:** _Do you know, how much you mean to me?_  
 _Should've told you_  
 _Cause it's true_  
 _I get over losing anything_  
 _But I'll never get over_  
 _Losing you_

 **Sterling:** _When you're young_  
 _And there's time_  
 _You forget the past_  
 _You don't think that you win_  
 _But you do_  
 _But I know_  
 _That I don't have time enough_  
 _And I'll never get over_  
 _Losing you_

 **Pinkie:** _I've been cold_  
 _I've been hungry_  
 _Not for a while_  
 _I guess most of my dreams have come true_  
 _With it all here around me_  
 _No peace do I find_  
 _Cause I'll never get over losing you_

 **Chuck and Pinkie:** _No I'll never get over losing you_

Diana's head drooped down and lowered her horn until it touched the curved horn of her friend and a temporary glow occurred between them. "Good bye... Sweet Tooth," she managed, before laying her head completely on the bed and sobbing quietly. Zach felt his own tears forming, but he didn't cry them aloud yet as he joined his sister and gave her a hug. TD made a motion over Sweet Tooth's body with his hand.

"May you find peace and prosperity in death," he whispered.

"Goodnight, my dearest," Chuck took one last look at her. "Come," he said, not wanting to lose his composure in front of his family. "Let's... let's let her rest." He said, leading his family out of the ward. Everyone nodded solemnly and left the room with him. TD stayed the longest, glancing back.

"I wish this didn't have to happen," he whispered to himself. Then he remembered a quote he would use often.

 _"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you must decide is what to do with the time given to you."_

TD managed a small sad smile and felt a relieving wave rush over him.

"Thanks... I needed that," he said seemingly to no one, then he too left the room.

* * *

 **Next time, we'll check out those ships and see just who exactly they may be, friend or foe.**

 **I am now SO glad I decided to go for the hurt/comfort genre for this story, because I've had so many deaths so far, and they're all so sad to read (and in my case, write). And the worst part is that I know this won't be the last death either, so... spoilers.**

 **And yes, the scene between TD and Philip was derived off of a scene from _Kung Fu Panda._**

 **In case some of you don't know or in case you've forgotten, I am able to write about emotional deaths and such because I myself have suffered loss before and I know exactly how one feels in that situation. If any of you out there who read my content have lost a loved one before, you have my deepest heartfelt sympathy.**

 **Song used: "Losing You," by _Randy Newman.  
_**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed and I'll cya in the next chapter!**


	8. Some Random Conflicts XD

Sunrise groaned as he slowly came to, wincing as his head throbbed slightly. The last thing the pegasus remembered was charging at the head of his troops into the battle, then everything after that was blank. He opened his eyes, squinting as the light blinded him, and he waited for his eyes to adjust.

"Oh good, you're awake! Finally..." Red's voice remarked cheerfully, but sounding a bit off. He was off to Sunrise's right and seemed to be tinkering with some machinery from the sound of it.

"Wha... what happened?" Sunrise asked, turning his head to look towards Red. "How long was I out...?"

"Two weeks," the hedgehog said bluntly, as he stuck two metal components together into some kind of metallic pony foreleg. "You lost a lot of blood and you had a concussion too. But that was only part of the reason you were out that long..." Red sighed as he stopped working on the metal pony leg. "Your injuries were so severe in some areas, I was forced to amputate one of your wings and one of your legs."

"WHAT!?" Sunrise shrieked, his eyes widening. "How am I supposed to fight?! Or fly!? Or do any of my normal day-to-day stuff!?"

"Calm down," Red said abruptly. "I've got that all figured out. If you look to them now... you'll see that you've gotten a bit of an upgrade. But don't move them just yet."

Sunrise blinked, confused, before he cautiously glanced down, his eyes widening as he saw that in place of his right front leg there was a metal one.

"How... how did you do this?" He asked, and there was a slight chuckle as Chris walked in, not wearing his suit for once.

"Let's just say, Red didn't do it alone." The human said. "I helped out a lot."

"And I got one for the wing too!" Red added. Sunrise glanced at his side and noticed the metal wing, before a large smile stretched across his face.

"Thank you both... when can I get back into action?" He asked, and Chris glanced at Red as he tapped something on his watch.

"What do you think Red? Should I activate the nervous pairing?" the human asked.

"Almost," Red told him as he brought up a holoscreen. "Just need to make a quick checkup and see that it's working." He fiddled around with the holoscreen for a bit, then smiled in satisfaction. "Neural interface is online and stable. We can start testing it now."

"Alright," Chris said as he started tapping stuff on his watch screen, before frowning as he grunted and swiped upwards, causing a holographic screen bank to appear in the air in front of him as he started tapping various icons and moving levels of something.

"Okay, I'm giving the leg 20% of maximum power to begin with, and the wing a power level equal to what his normal wing would produce." The human said. "Red, how much force will he produce with a punch with that amount of power to it?"

"Well, with the amount of work I put into it including upgrades and such... I'd say it is safe to assume that he could crack one's ribs and cause some internal bleeding with that leg," Red stated. "But let's take it slow first, okay? The tricky part about my neural interfaces is that sometimes it doesn't detect a problem in the interface until a few moments after it's occurred. By going slow, I can spot it much sooner and fix it before any problems occur."

"I'd like that." Sunrise said, his face paling a bit.

"Understood Red, but I may have given Gideon a foothold into the operating system in order to trace any potential problems," Chris said a he tapped an earpiece in his ear that had a glowing blue led on it. "If he detects anything, he'll alert me to it in real time. But for the sake of Sunrise's safety, I'll dial it down to 5%." The human tapped a level indicator and dragged it downwards. "Okay, want to give him something to punch Red? And not yourself. I don't care if you have a healing factor."

"How about this? It's something I did with... Cindy," Red suggested, his tone noticeably turning solemn upon mentioning the AI before perking up as if nothing had happened and pressed another button on the holoscreen. A human hologram figure appeared in the room and Red chuckled. "It's what you might call a 'solid' hologram image. Using the electrical discharge between atoms that caused solid objects to feel solid, it basically created enough of the said energy to make the hologram solid." He grinned. "And my advanced AI programming allows it to react accordingly to what you do to it. Go on, give it a try."

"Okay..." Sunrise said, slowly climbing off of the bed he was on and testing how his new wing reacted to his movement by opening it and closing it a few times, before letting out a grunt of satisfaction and walking up to the hologram, winding up and throwing a hard jab at the hologram with his metal right hoof. The hologram stumbled back and clutched the spot where it had been hit, making it seem very realistic. Not to mention, Sunrise's hoof had felt that it was connecting with a solid object when he had struck it; he could actually feel it as if it was a real person.

"Nice!" Red remarked as he looked at the neural interface's grid. "He seems to be stable so far. Chris, you may up the power now."

Chris nodded and moved the level indicator up, nodding in satisfaction.

"Power level increased to 25%." He said. "Sunrise, whenever you're ready."

The white pegasus nodded, flexing his metal leg for a few minutes, before lashing out again, aiming for the holograms chest this time. The hologram flew back a few feet and suddenly turned into an x-ray version of the human with red areas on the rib area.

"Ribs and chest area fractured," Red nodded. "Still stable."

"Amping up power to 50%" Chris said, increasing the power. Sunrise grinned, before racing forwards and throwing another punch. The hologram reacted somewhat the same, only this time when Red looked at the fractures, it was a huge improvement.

"Fractures throughout the entire skeleton. Internal and external bleeding would be high enough to slowly kill someone over time if he's not wearing a protective armor," the hedgehog complimented. "And we're still stable."

"Think I should take it up to full power Red?" Chris asked, his finger hovering over the level indicator as Sunrise glanced at the hedgehog as well.

Red nodded. "I'm thinking that I know for a fact what may happen if he punches it at full power, but try it anyways."

"Alright." Chris said as he tapped the screen, dragging the power to full. "When you're ready Sunrise."

Sunrise nodded, before advancing on the hologram, before suddenly lashing out, his metal hoof catching the light as it flew through the air and connected to the holograms side. As Red expected to happen, his hoof caused a large hole to appear in the hologram's image, making the hedgehog wince.

"Ladies and gents, we have achieved One Punch Man status," he commented, then had the hologram disappear. "Basically, any goon gets hit by that, they're as good as dead with a single hit." He looked to his holoscreen and smiled. "And the best part? No problems. Neural interface is stable and fully operational!"

"Yeah! Thanks, both of you." Sunrise said as he stretched his new metal wing. "You... you don't know how much this means to me... if there's anything either of you ever need, don't hesitate to ask, and I'll do my best to fulfill it."

Chris grinned. "Sun, you just needed to tell me you liked the tech." He said, before glancing at Red. "Red, a minute of your time if you may."

Red gave him a look, then said to Sunrise, "If you want to test it out some more, training simulation is down the hall, last door on the left."

He then turned his attention back to Chris. Sunrise nodded, before hurrying out.

"Look, I think I could help you rebuild Cindy," Chris said in a low voice as he tapped his watch, bringing up a holograph of a pony-shaped suit. "I was actually working on building a suit for me in my pony form, but it's still in prototype phase. I call it Project Thunder, and I've been doing some work on it ever since I came here. I think I may be able to help out, along with Gideon, so would you like my help?"

"It's not... the suit I'm concerned about..." Red replied, sniffing a bit. "It's Cindy in general. I could make an AI that shares her memories and such... but it'd only serve to tell me that she's gone. And the chip she gave me... I'm not sure yet if it's a memory chip or just the equivalent of her child." He started to cry a bit as he spoke. "You guys don't get how I feel, why every death among my friends becomes a crisis. Well, I'll tell you why... Everyone I've ever cared for has either died or left me... Everyone except my current group of friends, or what's left of them! So the reason I get so worked up over their deaths is because I'm scared of having a repeat of what happened to the ones before them!"

"You're right, I don't know how you feel," Chris began, a small smile on his face. "But I do know tech. It's possible that by using Gideon and some hacking, I may be able to reach her main computer chip and find out whether or not it's still intact."

"It's... too late for that now," Red told him. "The suit's fried and I already pulled it apart before scrapping it; there's nothing left of her to recover..." He pulled out the chip she had given him. "All I can do is test this out and see what it gives me..."

"I'll be there for you if you ever need me Red," Chris said, before he smiled. "But I still want to help out. You could use somebodies help anyways, right?"

Red sighed. "I suppose so... Follow me."

He led Chris into another room, which was obviously Red's workshop, as indicated by the alchemy lab and the clutter of machinery and the like. Red walked over to a laptop in the room and connected the chip to the laptop's drive. It started to download and while he waited, Red looked to a suit in the corner of the room. It looked similar to the pony-shaped suit she had been installed into previously, but it was largely incomplete.

"I've been working on this since her..." Red started, but found himself unable to finish.

"It's okay Red, you don't need to say it." Chris said, before he tapped his earpiece a few times. "Hey Gideon? Yeah, meet me at my current location. No, not as a suit, that'd draw to much attention. Yes, as yourself. I want to show Red the outcome of Project Delta anyways."

The human turned to Red, and with a small grin said. "You're familiar with what the Greek letter Delta means, yes?"

"I am, but let's pretend I've forgotten so you can tell the audience at home," Red answered, gesturing towards those reading this story.

Wow, first time you actually try that in this story. I feel sooo appreciated...

"Don't push it, author," Red grumbled.

"Alright. Delta symbolizes change," Chris said, before continuing. "Before I was sucked into my version of Equestria, I was a huge Marvel nerd, and that's why I built my suit. But I was also interested in another piece of tech from the second Avengers movie..." He trailed off, waiting to see if Red could guess correctly.

"Second Avengers movie? I'm afraid I haven't watched that one, to my knowledge," Red admitted. "All I can think of right now is the Iron Spider suit, the Hulk Buster, the Standard Iron Man suit, the suit for what's-his-name, and... that's really it."

"It's called the regeneration cradle." The human said, as a pony wearing a hooded cloak walked into the room. "Used by Ultron to begin creating his next generation, then the Avengers took it to try and load Jarvis into the body that was being built. And Vision was born." He gestured at the hooded pony. "I was able to create my own version of the regeneration cradle long ago, and I was able to make it compatible to any form."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Red," The pony said, their face still hidden in the shadows of their hood but their voice sounding exactly like Gideon's. Red got an impressed look.

"Oh, I think I see what you did. Very impre-" he said, but was interrupted by the computer suddenly bringing up a hologram image to stand in the room with them. When they saw who it was, Red almost couldn't believe it.

"Cindy?" he asked as the hologram smiled.

"Hello Red," she answered. "If you're listening to this... well, chances are I'm what you organics would call... dead."

"She recorded a message, just in case something like this happened..." Chris murmured as the pony beside him removed his hood, revealing the face of a dark blue unicorn that had an electric blue-colored mane. His eyes were gray, and were focused on the hologram. The hologram continued to speak.

"On this chip is something that you may consider to be... well, a younger version of myself. It's a copy of my data from when I was still relatively a new creation of yours, although I added in some more data to vaguely remember some other details, like Chuck and some of your friends. But in general, it'll be a fresh start all over again."

"It won't be the same though..." Red muttered.

"Oh, quit your moping!" the hologram suddenly scolded. "Yes, I knew you would be doing that right about now. For once sir, could you not be so negative about this?!"

Red looked stunned to hear this. Gideon chuckled.

"It appears that she's still as feisty as a holographic recording as she was when she was still a functioning AI," he said with a smile.

"I can probably integrate what's on the chip into the suit," Chris said, jerking his head towards Red's project. "Or I could possibly use the regeneration cradle to make her a real form."

Red looked up to the hologram of Cindy.

"The choice on how you rebuild me is yours alone to decide, sir," she finished. "Though... try to make it fitting for me. I personally like being a hologram or a battle suit, but outside that life... I often wish for more..."

Red lowered his head, then said to Chris, "I'll keep the suit I'm working on now... but you may make her another form with the regeneration cradle."

Chris dipped his head, before asking "What type? I have human and Equestrian programmed in currently. I could program for Mobian, but it would take time..."

"She has a hologram image of my dead first crush," Red answered. "I think she doesn't need a Mobian form."

"Ooookay, so no to Mobian... Equestrian perhaps?" Chris suggested. "That's the last thing the regeneration cradle was used for, and I've never changed its settings."

Gideon let a small grunt. "I guess I should go bring the cradle over." He said, before heading out.

"Just remember to put it in travel mode, and to bring all the equipment for it!" Chris yelled after him, before turning back to Red. "So, Equestrian or Human?"

"Equestrian. She always was interested in their species," Red remarked. Chris nodded, pulling a small, handheld device-like thing from his pocket.

"Here. You can design her looks if you'd like," he said, extending it towards Red. "I got to wait for Gideon to get here with the cradle in order to begin anyways."

"But what would I make her look like?" Red demanded. "Her hologram was an exact replica of my first crush and she's been dead for more than a hundred years back on Mobius!" He sighed. "Sometimes that alone makes me think my sanity is falling apart."

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Buddy, I'm a freaking human being who managed to build a machine that then malfunctioned due to a lightning strike and pulled me into my Equestria, where I ended up in the body of a pegasus who is dead and then ended up marrying Princess Twilight," he said. "You're in perfectly fine company, trust me. Go with your gut on what she should look like."

Red gave him a smile when he heard that.

"Well if you put it like that..." he remarked. "Then that makes me feel better." He then looked back to the suit. "I'll just... finish up here, while you guys deal with our... reinforcements. I have a lot of thinking to do."

Chris nodded, setting the device down just as Gideon entered, handing a case to the human.

"Thanks Gideon," he said as he set the case against a wall. "See you later Red."

He tapped something on his watch, and all of a sudden armor plating started to expand out from it, until he was wearing a suit of his Iron Man armor.

"Well, looks like the Mark IV works," he said. "I'll be taking my leave now Red."

With that, he activated his thrusters and shot out of the room, leaving Gideon standing in there with Red. Red gave a chuckle, then looked to Gideon.

"Well, I guess I could use your help," he said aloud, then in a thoughtful tone, "Now... you're an AI too right? What would you like to see in an Equestrian-looking AI?"

Gideon blinked, before shrugging as he used his horn to levitate his cloak off, revealing his cutie mark of a gear over a wrench.

"To be honest, I've put some thought into that," he explained. "And technically, I'm what you'd call an android. Part AI, part technology, part living tissue. I could tell you what I think a female Equestrian android should look like, if you'd like."

"Oki doki!" Red remarked cheerfully, then with a serious tone, "But you better not have a filthy way of thinking it, or I will tear it apart again."

Gideon blinked at him, his gaze deadpan.

"In my eyes, she'd be kind, nice to everyone she met, loyal to her friends, always standing up for those who need it, and have a loving heart." He said, smiling slightly. "That's all I've put into thought on it."

"Oh... I was talking about physical appearance, but that sounds good too!" Red answered. "And luckily for you, she already has most of those personality traits. The only one she would lack would be nice to everyone she met. If she ever met someone she knew was a bad person... eh, that's when it got problematic."

"You mean like how most ponies view Nightmare Moon as someone bad, yet she's fighting on our side currently?" Gideon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorta," Red shrugged. "So, any ideas on appearance? I can work out the... 'finer' details on my own."

Gideon blushed slightly and glanced away.

"No... not really..." He said, not making eye contact.

"Well, it's your girlfriend, mate!" Red teased.

"I... I guess she should be really beautiful." Gideon said slowly. "Attractive, for sure... that's all I really have."

"Attractive..." Red chuckled as he started typing something into his holoscreen. "Any color preferences?"

"Uhh... well, I do particularly like shades of red and blue..." he said, turning back to face Red

"Mhm! Eye color?"

"Pink," Gideon said right away. "I always did like that as an eye color."

"Okay... Cutie Mark will have to wait," Red muttered, then pulled up two female pony images on his screen; one with a blue coat and red mane and tail, the other vice versa. Both had pink eyes and both looked very attractive... at least by Equestrian standards.

"Looking good, Cindy 2.0," Red chuckled, then to Gideon, "I couldn't decide which one to go for in color code, so you can decide which looks better, or you can scrap this and give me a different suggestion."

Gideon was staring at the images, before shaking himself and blinking.

"I, uhh... I like the one with the blue coat and red mane and tail," he said, pointing with a hoof.

"I thought you would," Red chuckled and swiped the other image to the side. Then he asked, "Any particular style for her mane and tail? Or should she fix that? I always figured she was an 'army' kind of AI... but, I've been wrong before."

"She should fix that... if I've learned anything from Chris's friends on our Equestria, it's that a pony should do her own mane," he said, before sighing. "You can guess who told me that."

"Drama queen," Red guessed. "Yet sometimes she does not practice what she preaches." He chuckled. "Very well, I'll leave that up to her. Now... any finer details we seem to be missing?"

"Not that I can tell," Gideon said, before pointing towards the case. "I know how to operate the cradle if you want to get started."

"Fire her up," Red announced. "The other details I'll have to do alone anyways."

Gideon nodded, before he pressed a button on the case, causing an LED to flash as he backed away, and in a few seconds the case expanded into a long, metal device with a bank of computers hooked up to it.

"Okay, so, we'll need the chip," he said, nodding towards where it was. "And the physical description."

Red handed him the chip and then pressed some buttons on his holoscreen.

"Transferring description into your files now... and, viola!" he exclaimed. "Proceed when ready."

Gideon nodded, before plugging the chip into one of the computers, before tapping something on another screen and bringing up the image they had designed.

"Okay, download of chip complete," He said, before pointing to where a cylindrical tube with some sort of glowing metal lay. "Mind handing me that?"

Red handed him the tube while examining it himself.

"Pretty durable stuff there, ain't it?" he asked aloud.

"Hey, if you're friends with a Pyrunian, sometimes he manages to snag a crate of vibranium," Gideon said as he slid the tube into a hole on the machine. "Works the best for connecting everything together." The pony pressed a few more buttons, before something flashed on the screen.

"Authentication code! You bucking... I'LL GIVE YOU AN AUTHENTICATION CODE!" he yelled as he pressed his hoof against the screen, causing it to flicker before the cradle began to power up with a low hum.

"What was that?" Red asked with a laugh.

"Security feature Chris put in. I hacked the computers." Gideon explained as the cradle started to go to work, the top of it closing as parts started shooting around. "I think that if he built it to his standards, this should take roughly... three to five minutes." Gideon said, checking a screen. "Yep, five minutes. Chris never did like lengthy wait times."

"Five minutes?" Red asked with a raised eyebrow. "May I see the security? I may be able to hack the systems to work faster if you'd like."

"Eh, I can do that," Gideon said as he raised a hoof and set it on the screen, causing every monitor to flicker. The pony closed his eyes in concentration, before the sound of moving parts in the cradle suddenly accelerated to a breakneck pace, falling silent in a matter of thirty seconds.

"Done," Gideon said as he opened his eyes and lowered his hoof, looking a bit tired.

"Hmm," Red remarked, then took a look at the security systems. "This is pretty state-of-the art tech. Security is pretty high and you've got a lot of the right procedures and such." He frowned. "But in my eyes, it's still a bit too easy."

"You couldn't hack me," Gideon said with a smirk, before glancing at the cradle. "Alright, enough talk. Let's open it up."

He pressed a button on the screen, and with a hiss it began to open up. As soon as the cradle had opened up fully, a pony climbed out, taking a few steps before glancing around. Her description matched the one they had been designing for Cindy: attractive mare with a blue coat, red mane and tail, and pink eyes. She currently didn't have a Cutie Mark and her mane was styled in a simple yet attractive manner. She took a good look at her hooves- actually, she seemed surprised to have hooves period- then spoke in Cindy's voice.

"Okay, what in the thunder did you do, Red?" she demanded.

"Let's just say that it wasn't entirely Red's doing," Gideon said as he tapped a few things on a computer screen, glancing around it and grinning at Cindy. "I may have had some help in it."

Cindy, as it appeared to be, gave a quizzical look.

"Gideon?" she asked in disbelief. "Okay, someone please explain what happened?"

"You gave me a bit of a memory chip, I brought up another description for you, he brought in a thing that basically makes you an android... and, you're rebuilt now."

She didn't respond but simply looked to her hooves in amazement. She was surprisingly stable on her feet for being thrust into something like this for the first time.

"Thank Chris the next time you see him," Gideon said as he pressed something on the screen, causing the entire regeneration cradle to compact into a case again. "He's the one who built this. And yeah, I'm Gideon; the first ever android pony that Chris's invention made."

He moved the case up against a wall, before smiling at Cindy. "I must say, you're taking this rather well. I remember when Chris first made me an android... I kind of was freaking out that I had an actual physical body that wasn't just a suit for the first thirty minutes." He chuckled. "Ahh, the good old days."

Cindy finally snapped out of her stupor to reply with, "Well, the solid holograms did help a bit with the physical body thing. Though, I will admit the fact that it worked that way from the start is probably why I'm not more surprised than I should be." She examined herself and frowned. "You'll have to work on the Cutie Mark though. And I think I'm missing my-"

"Cindy, not in front of the kids!" Red interrupted.

"Oh... sorry," she mumbled.

"As with every pony, you have to get the Cutie Mark yourself Cindy," Gideon said as he came up to her, grinning. "Mine? I got it because I found out I'm good at building stuff, and knowing how things operate." He chuckled slightly. "So, you just have to find out what you're good at."

"Well... I just figured I was good at blowing stuff up," she remarked. "Though come to think of it, Red has told me often that I'm not a bad cook."

"And that's the truth!" Red answered. He then frowned. "You, I forgot to specify her species... Oh well, that can be easily fixed if you ever change your mind."

"Well, you may get the chance to blow stuff up with fancier weapons." Gideon said, nudging Cindy. "There's some ships coming in, and rumor is that they're reinforcements with weapons and troops for us."

Her expression became devious. "I like the sound of that, but before we go..."

She trotted over to Red and whispered in his ear.

"I didn't do those details Cindy because I wanted to see if it would work first," he stated.

"Well, you better fix it soon," she huffed.

Gideon raised an eyebrow as he levitated his cloak over to him and slipped it on, adjusting it so the hood was right behind his head if he wanted to put it on quickly.

"We going or not?" He asked, grinning. "Because I want to see our reinforcements."

"Only if I get a weapon soon," Cindy answered. Red laughed.

"Let's go," he said, walking out of the room.

* * *

Sunshine crept along quietly to the edge of Ponyville, making sure not to be seen by any of the guards stationed. Not too difficult for a Changeling to pull off, but it wasn't easy either way. Her reason for leaving the town after-hours was because she wanted to be alone for a while, alone with her thoughts. She kept on going until she had reached a small hill and sat down at the top, looking up to her Aunt's moon in the sky. Normally, it would be a peaceful and calming sight for her, but tonight it just reminded her of the burden she now bore on her shoulders. With her mother gone and her powers entrusted to her daughter, Sunshine now had a huge responsibility to take care of. It was too much for her to take in at the moment, and she quietly burst into tears, laying down in a small heap on the hill while she cried.

Meanwhile, Aqua was not getting much sleep that night either. The only thing that was on his mind was to painfully end the life of whoever was responsible for Princess Celestia's demise, so that monster could never do that to anypony else ever again. That was one reason of him not getting much sleep, but some other reasons were the nightmares involving the sceneries of people he held dear badly wounded, or near dying. Sleeping near his sister's bed was somewhat comforting in such state of mind, but he couldn't take that torment any longer. It reminded him of his grandmother Luna; looking at the moon was always a calming sight for him. Slowly he got out of the bed and headed outside the room, and then outside the Castle. As he came outside, the chill in the air gave him shudders, but he kept walking while his eyes switched between dark pink to fiery orange again and again, due to his upset state of mind. As soon as he looked at the sky and noticed the moon, a bit of his tension calmed down and his eyes stopped at their original dark pink color.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" a voice suddenly asked him gently, causing him to turn and notice the figure of Diego Kaplia leaning against a nearby building. He was so well hidden, despite the cape and bright yellow gauntlet on his right arm, that had he not spoken, Aqua would never have known he was there.

"I needed to see the moon," Aqua replied. "I was feeling so upset."

Diego nodded as if he understood and stared up at the moon himself. He seemed to get a faraway look in his eyes and Aqua noticed a tear fall down his cheek too, a tear as black as ink. After some silence, Diego looked over at him.

"So why are you upset?" he asked.

"I'm... having bad dreams... about my parents... and others..." Aqua shuddered once again as he remembered those nightmares.

Diego gave a small smile. "I understand. You are worried about what was and what will be." He knelt down to speak to Aqua more properly. "There's an old saying, 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.' Aqua, you're worrying too much about what could go wrong and not thinking about what can go right."

"You know what..." Aqua spoke, making a frown as his eyes changed color once again. "I don't know if something can go right, but I know I have to make something right! I have to avenge Sunshine's mother!" He stopped, breathing heavily as his eyes reverted to normal. When his breathing steadied again, he looked to Diego. "Did I say something nasty just now?" Aqua asked naively. Diego had gone unfazed during Aqua's outburst, and he simply gave a small nod.

"I understand that you want to avenge her, but do not do so out of a sense of hatred and rage, Aqua," he warned. "I've been down that path before, and it's one I wish I never had never traveled." He then smiled. "Why don't you have a talk with Sunshine? She seems like she could use the company right now. I saw her pass by not too long ago, headed towards that hill outside town."

"She headed towards the hills?" Aqua asked and made a seemingly thoughtful expression. "Alright, I will go there."

Diego smiled as he stood to his feet. "Young love. I wish I had your luck when I was younger myself."

Before Aqua could answer this statement, the rouge stepped back into the shadows and soon disappeared from sight.

"Hmm." Aqua hummed to himself for a second, before he trotted towards the hills to see Sunshine. It didn't take him long before he noticed her form curled up like a ball on the hilltop, all eight eyes closed as her body shook with each sob she made. She was so grief stricken that she didn't notice at first when he approached her. Looking her like this made him feel really sad inside, and he no longer could hold himself either.

"Su-Sunshine..." Aqua sobbed as he called her name. Two glowing red orbs suddenly appeared from her form and she raised her head slightly, then he heard her sigh.

"Aqua...?" she asked. "Wh-what are you doing out here?"

"Uncle Diego told me th- that you were out here..." Aqua said her in response. "What- what are _you_ doing here?"

"I... I wanted to be alone for a while... or at least get away from the others," she explained. "But... I could use some company."

Aqua wiped his tears as he nodded and sat beside her.

"You kn- know ,it's not fair," Aqua said seemingly to no one, looking towards the horizon. "It's not fair at all."

"I know... It doesn't feel fair to me either," she answered, leaning against him as she sniffled a bit. "I don't want to show to the others that I'm sad, but-" She silently started crying again. "I really miss Mommy... I don't know if I can do her job..."

Aqua sniffled as well. "I understand... I don't know if- it'll help... but I will be right beside you as long as you want me to..." Aqua lowered his head as he closed his eyes. "And if you still want to..." Another sob escaped his breath. "I'll learn about art from you... and help how- however I can- to fulfill your dreams..." Aqua was now bursting into tears. "I-I promise no pony will ever crush your dreams again..."

Sunshine felt her own tears falling, but she didn't cry aloud anymore. She gave him a big hug and let him release all his built up grief. She felt his sorrow and anguish wash over her in waves, filling her with energy but also revealing her friend's sorrow to its roots.

"It's alright Aqua," she said softly. "Just let it all out."

Aqua made some sobs now without holding back anymore. There wasn't any words just sobs as Aqua returned that big hug to Sunshine. For a few minutes, that's all they did was cry and hug each other tightly. Afterwards, Sunshine felt some relief within her as if she had just gotten a huge load off her shoulders for the time being. It made her feel oddly happy inside, in a way that she didn't know how to describe.

"Are you feeling a little better now?" she asked her friend.

"I am..." Aqua replied. "I'm feel little better..."

Sunshine smiled and she gave off a humming sound as she gave him a small nuzzle. In a moment Aqua smiled as well and nuzzled her back.

"Aqua," she suddenly spoke, breaking through the silence, "I'm glad you're my friend."

"Really?" Aqua asked as he wiped his tears.

"Of course," Sunshine answered, pulling back to look him in the eye. "You're one of the nicest colts I've ever met. Why wouldn't I be happy to have you as a friend?"

Aqua gave a blush as he heard this. "You know, you're... also the nicest filly I've ever met... "

Sunshine blushed too and also felt the familiar fuzzy feeling return when he said that. It made her feel like she was experiencing several different emotions at once, and it just felt so good. It made her not want to stop hugging him at the moment, even though she knew she would have to eventually. Aqua was also feeling an emotion he was unable describe at the time. This warm and fuzzy feeling was something he couldn't compare to any other feeling he had felt before, but it was much better than any other feeling. He just kept hugging her in return, and he didn't want to let go either. To see her smiling again was the best thing he had ever seen in his life.

Suddenly, Sunshine stiffened in Aqua's hooves and he heard her sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Aqua asked in worry.

"I don't-" she started, then abruptly shouted, "Look out!"

With surprising speed and strength, she pushed him away from her and then leaped from where they had been sitting. No sooner had she done that than a laser beam struck the spot they had been at just moments before.

"Huh!" Aqua gasped with shock. "What was that?!"

Sunshine didn't answer, but her eyes were darting about wildly as she searched for their intruder. It wasn't long before the enemy revealed themselves, as a small group of humans and robots materialized out of thin air, surrounding them on all sides. Another group materialized a distance away and rushed towards the town, just as a human figure leaped out of the shadows and began to combat them. Apparently, Diego had shadowed the two ponies this whole time. One human stepped to the front and smirked down at the two of them.

"So, the daughter of the former Princess of the Sun and the half-breed have stumbled into our trap," he scoffed, then to his men, "Five of you stay here with me to secure and pacify them; the rest of you deal with the rouge."

The men or bots nodded and carried out their orders, the ones who stayed pulling out stun guns or batons as they started to advance upon them.

"Stay away from us!" Aqua hissed in anger as he stood close to Sunshine, his eyes locked on those weapons in their hands. "If you know what's good for you!"

"Oh, now I'm really scared!" the officer said sarcastically. "A small little colt protecting his marefriend as if he actually stands a chance."

The others around him started laughing.

"Pick on somepony your own size, bully!" Sunshine growled.

"And His Mightiness will be very pleased to have you his to be his 'guest' too, little sister," the officer laughed.

 _"Bully._ _"_ The word rang in Aqua's mind as he remembered those mean ponies who picked on him because of being a hybrid, and he grunted in anger once again. This time, his mane started to wave as his eyes changed to a violent fiery orange.

"Hey!" Aqua warned as his voice suddenly sounded like multiple and loud voices now. "Don't you dare bully her!"

The men looked to them with surprise, then grunted.

"You're lucky the boss wants you alive," the officer snarled. "Otherwise, I'd have killed you like I did to that blasted Princess Celestia!"

Sunshine's eyes widened in surprise, then her own voice became filled with rage.

"YOU KILLED MOMMA?!" she shouted in a Royal Canterlot voice, startling the enemies around her. Before they could retaliate, a shockwave of energy, more specifically Celestia's former energy, erupted from her form and knocked them back. Sunshine glared at the officer with all eight eyes and she looked ready to strike again.

"You. Killed. SUNSHINE'S MOTHER!" Aqua's eyes began to shine even more violently, as his horn started to glow with the same color. The waves of aura passed through his body, as his size began to grow. Red flame-like patterns began to appear on his coat, and through his grunt his gritted teeth also seemed to change to razor sharp carnivore teeth, as two wolf like canines appeared in his mouth. His horn went jagged, and his hooves were changed to sharp claws, and his tail was prolonged as well, and now his whole body was glowing with his fiery orange aura. A smirk came upon his face.

"Thanks for revealing yourself..." A set of very intimidating, loud voices were heard from him. "...on your own."

He opened his mouth as an energy beam of the same color as his aura launched towards the officer. The officer shrieked and dodged out of the way just in time, while Sunny was taking care of his men while her rage still lasted. In the distance, Diego seemed to be finishing off the last of the men who had been tasked with distracting him from the children. As soon as he was done with them, he looked to the two young ponies and his expression changed from a confident battle smirk to a somewhat worried look.

"Oh no..." he muttered, then rushed towards them just as Sunshine polished off the last robot of the officer's task force. Then her eyes fixed on the one who had killed her mother.

Aqua in his new form looked towards that officer once again.

"You're done for!" He said and sprinted very swiftly him and wrapped him with his prolonged tail, then it started to constrict the officer. "Cry!" The beast form of Aqua shouted. "Cry in pain, you monster!"

The officer struggled in vain to escape, grunting in pain as the tail squeezed him tighter and tighter.

"Aqua, Sunshine, STOP!" Diego shouted, abruptly using something they never would have expected from him; a command spell that TD usually would use. It did manage to at least catch their attentions as they turned to look at him for a moment. At this point, Sunshine's rage subsided as she realized what she had been doing, as well as what had happened to Aqua.

"Aqua! What are you doing?!" she cried.

"I am avenging Princess Celestia!" He replied with an amused smirk. "I will finish him off, after having my fun!"

"Aqua, please," Diego tried to reason. "I understand. You want to avenge her death. But not like this. Don't let the hate and anger be your motivation behind it!"

"Aqua..." Sunshine pleaded as she placed a hoof on his shoulder, "You told me yourself you didn't want to lose control of your darker side. Prove to me that you were telling me the truth! Don't be the monster you fear you are..." Her eyes were filled with tears as she spoke. "Please... we're friends. Friend don't do this..."

"Friends?" he replied in a somewhat thoughtful tone. "Friends..."

In a moment, his eyes returned to normal and he let the officer go. And then his body began to revert itself into his normal form. His claws reverted to hooves again and his carnivore teeth returned to normal, he shrank reverted down to his normal size, and then fell to his knees.

The officer fell to the ground and looked between them, a bit shocked at what he had just witnessed unfold before him. But he soon growled and picked up one of the weapons on the ground. Thankfully, Diego noticed this. Faster than the eyes of the young ponies and the evil human could register, Diego whipped out a revolver and fired it with perfect accuracy at his hand, knocking the weapon out of his hand. Before the officer could try to go for another, Diego rushed over to him and pushed him to the ground, holding him down with his foot.

"I'd stay still if I were you," he warned.

"Sunshine..." A whine escaped Aqua's almost unconscious form. Sunshine helped pull him up to his feet and looked to his face, even though she had already sensed his emotions through his actions. A smile appeared on his face, as he opened his eyes. They were still shining in the same violent color.

"Aqua?" she asked, a hint of concern in her pleading tone.

"Don't worry," he began. "I just wanna say... you're the only one I've ever listened to during... my rage. Thanks for what you said. It makes me feel better." Then his eyes returned to normal as he was breathing heavily. He looked towards Sunshine with a blush and asked naively, "Did I say something nasty just now?"

Sunshine gave a small gasp, then threw her hooves around him with a squeal.

"I'm so happy you're okay and I'm so glad you're back!" she giggled, hugging him tightly.

"I am... glad you're okay too," Aqua managed to say. Diego looked over to them and sneaked a smile, then looked back to the officer and lifted him off his feet, showing how surprisingly strong the rouge could be.

"Just to give you kids some peace of mind," he told them, "I promise you, he will be dealt with properly. In the meantime, I'd suggest you get back to the safety of the town pretty soon."

Sunshine stopped hugging Aqua long enough to acknowledge Diego's words and nodded at him.

"Alright..." Aqua said.

"Good kids," Diego nodded, then a sickly red portal appeared behind him and he dragged the officer through it, who had stayed silent out of fear. The portal closed and the two were left alone again. It was then that Sunshine realized how awkwardly long she had been hugging Aqua and she blushed furiously as she pulled away.

"Sorry," she said. "I guess I got carried away."

"I don't mind," Aqua smiled, tilting his head to the side.

Sunshine smiled back, then spoke. "Thanks... for trying to stand up for me back there. That was very brave of you."

"It's alright," Aqua said. "I'm glad... that you're alright." Then suddenly a light shone on his flank. Aqua looked towards it in surprise. "Is this...?"

Sunshine gasped. "I think... you just got your Cutie Mark!" She now seemed excited. "What is it? What is it?"

They both looked towards his Cutie Mark as the light faded. It was a drop of water burning in a rainbow colored flame, within a red shield similar to Shining Armor's. Sunshine squealed again and gave him yet another crushing hug.

"Oh my gosh! You got your Cutie Mark! I'm so, so proud of you!" she shouted happily.

"Yay!" Aqua exclaimed happily for the first time since they met. "I got my Cutie Mark, I got my Cutie Mark!" he sang happily. Sunshine giggled happily as well and the humming sound returned in a different manner from before; it seemed more in tune with the Changeling's current excitement and joy. But Sunshine hardly seemed to notice this as she bounced up and down in her excitement and joy.

"I can't wait to show this to my parents, my brother, and my sister! They'll be excited as well..." Aqua exclaimed. Sunshine giggled, then sighed happily as her excitement died down. Yet she didn't let go of Aqua yet and the humming sound from her, while it had changed in rhythm again, didn't fade either.

"Sunshine..." Aqua ceased smiling for a bit. "Is there something... Oh." His excitement also died down as he realized what was wrong. "I am sorry... I was a little too excited for a moment..."

"It's okay to feel excited over things like that," she said to him. "You did nothing wrong."

"I mean, I see that you're..." Aqua was unable to say that. "I should be more careful..."

Sunshine stopped humming and she pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Aqua took a sigh. "I see that you're still upset..." He somehow managed to say.

"Oh..." she sighed. "A little... but not so much anymore."

"Really?" Aqua asked with a thoughtful and somewhat sad tone. "Alright, then it- it's okay..." Aqua sighed. "I should stop bringing bad things up again and again..."

Sunshine giggled. "Well, I'm glad that you were trying to be considerate anyways."

Aqua didn't reply at this but blushed due to this statement as a confused smile appeared on his face, and he rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof.

"I guess, I was thinking too much... just like what Uncle Diego said..."

Sunshine gave a knowing grin. "He told you too?"

Aqua nodded. "He said that I should stop thinking about... what's in the past, and what will be the future, and enjoy the present as it is... I guess that's what he said..." He made a thoughtful expression for a while. "Let's just say, I was being a little, silly-filly at the moment..." He gave a light chuckle at this.

"Uncle Diego is a bit... mysterious sometimes, but he's a smart guy," Sunshine commented. "He's got a lot to share with others from his own experiences."

"Mmhmm," Aqua nodded and looked towards the direction of the town for some moments before he asked "Should we go back to the Castle now?"

"Yeah. I don't want them to worry too much longer about us," Sunshine agreed.

"Right," Aqua nodded in agreement as they both trotted towards the town. "And... should we tell them what happened here?"

Sunshine looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered, "We'll tell them later, maybe in the morning. They need their rest."

"Alright, Sunshine..." Aqua replied. Sunshine gave him a smile and walked closely beside him as they trotted on back to the Castle, until they had reached the doors of that said building.

"I guess, no one knows..." Aqua said as he went towards the door and opened it. Sunshine looked out at the moon and gave a small sigh.

"It'll be time for me to raise the sun in another hour," she explained, then looked back to Aqua. Before he could say anything, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek followed by a thankful smile.

"Thanks again, Aqua," she said with a bit of a blush, as if not believing herself what she had done. Aqua stared her for a moment with surprise in his eyes and blush on his muzzle.

"It's alright, Sunshine," Aqua replied. "Thank you too." There was a silence for some seconds before Aqua said, "If it'll help, I'll be right beside you while you raise the sun."

Sunshine gave him another smile. "I'd like that very much."

Aqua passed her a caring smile and passed her nod as they both headed inside the Castle of Friendship, heading for the balcony where the Changeling would raise the sun in another hour.

* * *

In the outpost of Our Town, the Saiyan, Virin, was currently doing some training, punching the air as he produced some gust of wind in the process. He then practiced some kicks in the air, also producing some more gusts of wind.

Then, he began to aim his extended hand towards a rock, firing an blue energy ball at it as the rock exploded to pieces. Virin sighed as he relaxed for a moment and paused his training.

"Virin?" a familiar voice called to him and soon Scootaloo flew down from above and landed beside him with a smile.

"I just wanted to let you know, they're serving up lunch now," she told him. "Care to join us?"

Virin blinked, feeling a rumbling growl of his stomach. He blushed in embarrassment as he chuckled nervously.

"Looks like I haven't eaten since the time on my Equestria," he said, nodding towards her. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Great!" Scootaloo cheered, then started trotting back to the outpost where they could already smell something good cooking.

Virin smelled the food as he sniffed the air. "Mmm, it feels good," he said. Scootaloo nodded in agreement, then looked to Virin.

"Virin, can I ask you something?" she asked.

The Saiyan looked at her in return, questioning with, "And what's that?"

"Well, I didn't say anything aloud, but you seem to hold something against humans," she noted. "Call me a master of insight to know that, but I just wanna know why?"

Virin looked up towards the blue sky, before looking back to Scootaloo, as he began his explanation.

"It's because," he began, "right before my birth, humans of my Earth had known of our existence. When my child self heard what was going to happen, I started to transport all of the citizens of the capital of dragons, the White City, to another world. The humans hadn't known about me using magic, but I did. After I went to Earth for a while to think of something when I was engaged in a heated argument between me and my mother, I saw that humans looked at me with distaste, hatred, cold, and hunter-like eyes. When they found out about me, the governments, who are the leaders of my Earth, they chose to go with an operation that was meant to kill off any dragons or anyone related to their kind. Before I could get a chance to explain to them, the humans of Earth didn't spare me when I told them, by accident, that my parents were dragons. They decided to kill me if I ever set my foot on their world ever again. Since then, I have had a grudge and an immense hatred to humans, which was of my defense when I first met up with TD. My dragon kind and humans can't coexist together. We weren't made for that."

After his explanation, he sighed. "I'm sorry if I brought this explanation to you, but yeah. That's the reason of my distrust of humans."

"I understand," Scootaloo replied with a nod. "I remember we all used to feel the same way towards Changelings, and for a good reason. After the First Attack on Canterlot, we ponies all despised Changelings because of what Chrysalis had done. It took us a long time before we actually started to trust them again, even after Chrysalis was gone and even towards other Changeling hives." She gave him a reassuring smile. "But I've learned that you cannot blame every member of a species for the faults of the ones before them. I understand your distrust, but I guess I'm asking that you give them a chance and you might find that not all humans are bad."

"Like TD and Joy?" Virin asked her.

"Right," Scootaloo agreed. By then, they had reached the source of the delicious smell which was a huge pot of stew cooked up for the soldiers by the few citizens that had stayed behind in their town. They were handing out bowls of the stew to everyone who came by, and were quite polite about it.

"You know you don't have to do this for us, right?" one soldier asked one of the cooks.

"I know," the cook answered. "But we want to. You're putting your lives on the line for our sake, so it's only fair to repay you somehow."

Finally, Scootaloo and Virin had reached the line and they were given their own bowls of stew. Scootaloo got a big smile as her bowl was handed over to her.

"Mmm! Smells real good!" she exclaimed.

"Agreed," Virin sniffed his food as the he walked out of the line, with his friend following him.

"So, what's different about your Equestria that you've noticed in your stay here?" Scoots asked Virin, flying in the air while holding her bowl for convenience.

"Well," Virin started. "I guess, with how different species are here. I mean, Red's a hedgehog. Plus, the others are either friends or married to the ones they like. I haven't yet, so I may not know what that feels. But, I can tell this is kinda different than what my Equstria is. Though, there _had_ been an attack on my Canterlot, just with some kind of two-legged satyr called the Storm King who was responsible for the attack."

"Oh, I remember that attack. It was awful!" she remarked. "Though it's also one of the reasons TD came here. You see, when he first arrived in Equestria, he was still a villain and he figured we'd be weakened by the attack. He wasn't entirely wrong, but he wasn't entirely correct either." She raised an eyebrow. "Did your attack happen before or after the Pony of Shadows?"

"The what now?" Virin tilted his head at that name. "The 'Pony of Shadows'? Who's that?"

"Oh. That shadow creature TD turned into," Scootaloo told him. He tried to attack once when Twilight brought back the Pillars. Sometimes, I hear that the Storm King's attack came after the Pony of Shadows in other Equestrias."

"TD can turn into different creatures?" Virin tilted his head again. " _Now_ I'm confused."

"He can turn into other creatures if he wants, but he's a human by blood. Make no mistake about that," Scootaloo answered, then took a slurp from her stew. "There's actually a lot of things he can do. You know how Discord can do some crazy stuff? Well, TD can do the same thing but he's much, much more powerful." She gave him a smirk. "You wouldn't want to fight him alone unless you know how to outsmart him. Take that from somepony who's sister had to fight him."

Virin gave her a smirk in return. "I think I can outsmart him a little, I'm a bit full of surprises," he told her.

"Be thankful that you're on the same side then," Scootaloo remarked with a laugh.

"I am," Virin laughed as well.

Suddenly, there was a loud whistle heard followed by ringing bells. Starlight's voice came over an intercom system around the town.

"Battle stations, everypony! This is not a drill!" she shouted. "Enemy soldiers are headed this way!"

Scootaloo sighed. "At least we ate before they came here." She set the bowl down and then looked to Virin. "Ready?"

"Born ready," Virin gave her a smile of confidence. Scootaloo grinned, then flew up into the sky a bit for some recon. She soon called back down to him.

"Heavy armor down on the west side! Looks like the garrison there could use some help!" she shouted down, then started flying towards the west wing. Virin flew after her, thinking that she might need some assistance. They soon came to the West Wing, where the rest of the CMC was helping out some Equestrian soldiers against a troop of robots who were heavily armed and pushing upon their position. The garrison was pinned down from the looks of it. Behind the approaching robots was some kind of tank. Scootaloo looked down at them, then looked to Virin.

"If you can take out the robots and help the garrison, I can take out the tank while they're distracted," she told him. Virin nodded in understanding, before going Super Saiyan Blue as he flew towards the enemy robots. He began to fire blue energy balls at the robots, destroying them in the process as the blue-haired Saiyan flew right into another robot, before starting to get surrounded by a couple of them, thirty or so. Smirking in delight at the thought of fighting, Virin started to whirl around as he fired off energy balls all around, destroying at least ten afterwards. After destroying the rest, he flew to another thirty robots, landing right in the middle of their assembled ring formation.

While the enemy forces were distracted by the Saiyan, Scootaloo flew above the tank with a satchel of some kind and pulled out a secret weapon: some charges Red had designed specifically for times like this. She took out one of the charges and dropped it down to the ground below so it landed on the tank. The vehicle exploded on impact with the charge and Scootaloo gave a smirk of satisfaction. Unfortunately, she was forced to do an aerial dodge to the side as a large laser rocket of some kind flew past her, missing her by an inch.

"Whoa!" she shouted, then looked down to Virin. "They've got some kind of anti-air missiles! I can't do much good up here until they're taken down!"

"Anti-air missiles?!" Virin then got serious. "If they've got that, stay down low so that they can't fire them at you."

He quickly punched a robot that was behind him in the robotic face, destroying it after he whirled around as he fired an single energy ball. Beside him, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell were surveying the enemies in front of them, then Applebloom got an idea.

"Scootaloo!" she called up as Scootaloo got lower to the ground.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Remember that slingshot trick ya tried to get up to Cloudsdale?" Applebloom asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" the pegasus inquired.

"If we can load some more of them explosives into one and fire it at the anti-air missiles," Applebloom started.

"...it'll eliminate the air problem..." Sweetie Bell warmed up.

"...which will allow me to give air support without any trouble!" Scootaloo finished. "Applebloom, you're a genius!"

"Scootaloo!" Virin shouted to her, making her look at him. "If you're going to go with the slingshot trick, then I'll distract them whereas you go to the enemy as I take out the forces that surrounds them. If we work together, we can take out those anti-air missiles."

"Good idea!" she answered, then shouted, "Somepony get the slingshot!"

A few guards rushed off and returned later with an over-sized slingshot which was stationed into the ground with a steady grip. Virin nodded, as he took the order clear.

"Let's go!" he started to fly into the air, until he was high enough for one anti-air missile to fire at him. He dodged it by an inch, smirking as he saw where his friend was going.

 _Good luck,_ he thought before deciding to take out a couple of robots on the ground with an Kamehameha, destroying them in an instant. In a few moments, the anti-air missile turrets started to explode, one-by-one as Scootaloo's plan started to go into motion. Eventually, only a single turret was left, but Scootaloo had not blown it up yet, which was confusing and a bit worrisome.

Hearing the explosions of the turrets, Virin smiled gleefully as he took out more robots on the ground, but he soon started to get worried about the last one. Suddenly, a beam fired from the turret that was not at all anti-air based. Rather, it seemed very similar to the Saiyan's energy levels. A kind of simplistic recreation of a Kamehameha, headed straight towards him.

 _SH**,_ Virin cursed loudly in his mind, before he managed to barely dodge the beam of the turret that was shot to him. Even so, he felt it graze his back and pain shot through his body despite the nick. Whatever that was, it seemed to be specifically tailored to him, designed specifically to take out the Saiyan. As it charged up again, he heard Scootaloo on the coms provided to them, and it sounded like she was in the middle of a fight.

"Virin! It's a trap! Get out of here!" she shouted, and then there was static.

"WHAT?!" Virin shouted back to her. "I CAN'T LEAVE YOU HERE!"

The response was the turret preparing to fire another blast at him, but Scootaloo remained dark.

"What's going on?" Starlight demanded over the coms. "Where's Scootaloo?"

Virin was in great shock, and fear grew in him. He began to fly towards the turret and landed beside it just as it fired and missed, and rushed about to find his friend in this world, who meant everything to him.

"Scoots!" He yelled out. "Where are you?!" He looked around frantically, in hope of seeing his friend anywhere. Just then, he heard too late another pulse powering up from something behind him that had been hiding in the shadow of the turret. He turned to see a robot performing a Kamehameha at him, though how was unclear to him for the moment. There wouldn't be enough time for him to avoid this one and it was apparent as the beam was released from the robot's hand.

At the last second, he noticed an orange blur flying towards him in the corner of his eye. A heavy form pushed him out of the way and the beam hit the figure at full blast. And when the smoke and light cleared, Scootaloo was lying on the ground, looking more dead than alive as the robot turned back to Virin.

Suddenly, after seeing his friend lay down on the ground, Virin started to shake violently as the robot looked unconcerned about it.

"You...you..." Virin growled darkly. "You...will...pay...for...THIS!"

His body started to form a dark aura, and the Saiyan yelled out in a fit of rage, as the black aura took its toll over him. Standing where the blue-haired Saiyan once was, was a black-clothed figure that looked identical to Virin. His former blue hair was now black, along with his blue eyes being blood-red. The figure's name was Black Virin, an entity inside of the real body of Virin.

"By killing my...daughter," started Black Virin. "You're going to be brought to justice!"

He fired a black colored Kamehameha at the robot, destroying it instantly. Black Virin growled viciously, as more robots began to surround him. The robots backed off a bit, then one shouted, "Start the countdown and protect the turret! We're destroying that town!"

The robots nodded and they all gathered around and started to attack Virin, while nearby, unknown to them all, Scootaloo began to stir and her eyes fluttered open weakly.

Black Virin roared angrily, firing an black Kamehameha at the robots before the countdown had begun. Looking at the turret with dark blood-red eyes, the dark form of Virin aimed his hands towards the turret as the countdown began to tick down. His hands began to form another black Kamehameha at the turret.

The countdown was almost over. It would be a close one.

Five... four... three... two... one...

The black Kamehameha was fired at the turret before it managed to fire, with the dark form of Virin roared as he grinned evilly towards the turret.

"V- v- Virin..." Scootaloo's voice suddenly spoke from behind, weakly. Black Virin's blood-red eyes widened in shock by hearing the voice of the alternate form of his daughter. He turned around and saw her still on the ground, on the brink of death.

Calming down with his dark form, Virin changed back to normal as he rushed to his friend's side, kneeling down to her, not caring as the explosion of the turret sounded from the black Kamehameha that was launched by his darker self.

"Save your breath," Virin whispered to her, tears threatening to fall down on his cheeks. "Otherwise, you'll die."

"It..." Scootaloo coughed. "It's too late... for me... I'm already... dead."

In the distance, Virin could hear his friends approaching them, galloping as fast as they could to their location.

"Don't say that!" Virin choked as his tears fell on his cheeks. "I don't want to lose the very friend who I am worthy of calling my daughter..."

Scootaloo gave him a small smile, then coughed up some blood.

"It's... okay..." she managed softly. "You've still got me... back in your Equestria. You've still... got your daughter."

The rest of the CMC had arrived and they looked heartbroken.

"Scootaloo!" they shouted as they too got beside her.

"Scoots, don't die on us please!" Sweetie Bell cried.

"You're the toughest one out of all of us," Applebloom added tearfully. "Please don't leave us..."

"I agree," Virin cried as the tears fell on her fur. "It won't be the same without you...we're buddies...remember?"

"Virin..." Scootaloo spoke again as she leaned against him for support, "Promise me... that you'll take care of me... back in your home... And tell her... that I said... don't ever give up on your dreams. Even when you... seem like a worthless worm... remember that one day... you'll become a beautiful butterfly."

Virin was still crying as he slowly gave her a single nod of his head. "I...promise...to tell her...about this...and only her..."

Scootaloo smiled again. "I may not... be your daughter in this... world, but I'm proud to call you... my dad..."

Virin smiled softly as the tears continued to drip on her fur. "And...I'm proud to call you...my daughter..."

Scootaloo smiled again and then closed her eyes, leaning against him as if falling asleep as her breathing slowed to a stop. Life had left her completely now...

Virin was now shedding in tears by now, as he sobbed loudly.

"No, Scoots!" Applebloom desperately shook her body, even though she knew it was pointless. Sweetie Bell was already crying her heart out while Starlight and the other soldiers had bowed their heads in respect. During their grief, they heard a sudden whirring sound and looked up to see a tiny drone appear.

"A message from his Excellency!" the drone beeped, and then a holographic screen appeared showing the face of the Nameless One, who gave them a smirk.

"Nice. That's the first I've seen a pony survive a blast like that for as long as she did," he said, sounding impressed.

"So...you're Nameless?" Virin demanded in a conflicted voice. The Nameless One gave a smirk as he gestured to himself, still looking a bit hurt and damaged.

"Not much to look at, am I?" he asked sarcastically, then announced, "I am giving you all another chance to surrender and stand down. If you do not do so by the end of the next week, I shall unleash the Beast of Time upon you all! So stand down and bow to your king while you still have the chance." The majority of the Equestrians looked scared to hear this news about the Beast of Time. They wouldn't be able to fight him without ones that could control time, and there wasn't many of those to go around. Virin gritted his teeth in anger, rage lingering inside of him.

"We won't just surrender to villains like you!" he yelled out, his friends agreeing with him. "Don't you see what we're fighting for?! We're fighting for our lives against you! I, however, am fighting to protect the ones that I cherish and care for. This pony meant a lot to me, more than you'd think she did, even if she's not a child of mine. I _will_ kill you if you try to unleash that Beast you speak of. If you do, I'll even decide to fight you personally."

Virin didn't blink, as his identity has been quite known among villains of the multiverse.

"So, you know of me?" he asked in an angry and demanding tone. The Nameless One chuckled in amusement.

"I've fought Saiyans more powerful than you, some of whom were even seen as the protectors of their universe," he explained. "They all fell to my blades, and you will be no different if you combat me."

In Virin's mind, all negative emotions began to go all out against him.

"You'll know I am different than those Saiyans," Virin stated grimly. "I have a surprise for you when we meet. Just you wait, this will be over as soon as possible before you even get the chance."

He raised his hand up and aimed at the drone. The Nameless One chuckled again.

"Please, there's no need for that," he remarked. "I will be leaving you now. Enjoy your 'freedom' while you still can, my rebellious subjects."

With another laugh, the holoscreen disappeared and the drone flew away out of sight. Lowering his hand back down, Virin sighed angrily as he looked to his friends, despair growing in him as he was unsure what to do now.

"Should I even go and fight him, even if he claims to have fought others like me?" he asked them, confusion going over in his mind.

"Not alone, you won't," Starlight told him. "And we still don't have the forces to go on the offensive. You'll have to wait for now..."

Virin nodded to Starlight, accepting her thought she had now. She looked to the soldiers nearby and to Scootaloo's friends crying over her.

"Prepare a grave for her," she told them. "Tonight, we will mourn our fallen."

The guards nodded and picked up the limp pegasus and carried her off, leaving the other two CMC members with Virin where they were.

"I'll inform the others about the loss of Scootaloo, if I may?" Virin asked Starlight. Starlight gave a small nod.

"I think Rainbow Dash particularly would want to know," she agreed. Nodding, Virin started to fly into the air as he headed towards Rainbow Dash's location, starting with her before the others.

* * *

 **-Nine Earth Years (Thousands of Equestrian Years) Ago...-**

 _William stared in surprise along with his two brothers at the large ship that had appeared in the sky._ _His brothers both looked slightly different from him. Both were younger than William, but one was skinny with the same brown hair and blue eyes of the first; in fact, they almost could have passed for twins. The second, while looking a bit similar as well, had brown eyes and was chubby in comparison._ _All three of them were granted different powers, as over time they had acquired them. The skinny one, who was called Sean, had been granted the powers of Ice; the chubby one, known as Ian, possessed powers of Life and Death, and of course William had his powers of Chaos. None of them were too powerful in their abilities yet, but they were learning and teaching each other in the process. And currently the_ _three of them were watching the arrival of this ship with interest, none of them knowing what the intentions of the new arrivals would be._

 _They had not expected something so large to appear, especially one so_ _futuristic in design. The latter told them that it was from another universe outside of Earth. As they watched, a beam fell to the ground and several figures appeared from it, all robots. One of them had four arms and orange eyes, and seemed to be the leader of them all. He was also taller than the other robots, who were already taller than William and his brothers. Unlike the others in his troop, the four-armed robot was built to have facial features, so they could see the smile he was giving them fully.  
_

 _"Greetings, young ones," he said to them. "Please remain calm, for I mean you no harm. I am but an explorer from another universe and my ship is running low on fuel. I need a place to land and refuel, and this was the first place I noticed. Please, may I land here?"_

 _The three brothers looked to each other and had a silent discussion exchanged between them. They didn't know if they could trust this newcomer yet, but so far his intentions sounded legit and besides their powers would be more than enough to handle the problem if it came to that. After a moment, Sean was the one who spoke.  
_

 _"Yes, you may land here, but keep yourself and your ship out of sight," he told them.  
_

 _"The inhabitants of this world would not understand," William added. The four-armed figure smiled and nodded, then spoke into a coms set he had._

 _"Bring the ship around to that field and activate active camouflage," he ordered. The ship then flew around and landed in the large field in front of their house and then turned invisible. He then chuckled. "We were never introduced, were we?"  
_

 _"No, we were not," William agreed. "My name's William, and these are my brothers; Sean and Ian."_

 _The robot master smiled again as he shook hands with the chaotic human._

 _"Nice to meet you," he said. "I don't officially have a name, but you may call me... The Nameless One..."_

* * *

 **Well... that's interesting.**

 **I hope you guys are enjoying this so far, because I will say this much... there is WAY too much death in this thing! XD**

 **Why this thing took too long for me to even publish is beyond me. But either way, hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Bonds and More Death (Seriously?)

"Sunshine..." Aqua said as his sound echoed in the silence of that cave "What is this place?"

Earlier, the two of them had been ambushed in the Everfree Forest while being escorted by a convoy to an outpost away from Ponyville, as recent movements from the enemy had given their relatives reason to be concerned for their safety. However, a task force of the Nameless One's forces had attacked the convoy, mostly Changelings. Pinkie Pie, who was leading the convoy, had ordered the two foals to flee and save themselves from the attack, instructing Sunshine to hide away in an area only the two of them in the convoy knew about. And that's where they were now.

"The cave of the Mirror Pool," Sunshine answered, pointing to a pool of water that seemed to glow in the cave. "Almost nopony knows about this place. Aunt Pinkie once used this to make a ton of clones of herself to try and keep up with her friends, but it ended in disaster." She sat near the water's edge and looked to her reflection. "I would suggest not falling in."

"Oh," Aqua said as he gave her a nod and sat beside her "Don't worry, I'll keep that in mind..."

Sunshine nodded and looked to their reflections. She knew the rhyme that would cause a clone of themselves to appear, but she was smart enough not to try it; the clones weren't the best at following orders, according to Pinkie Pie.

"How long do you think it'll be before rescue?" Sunshine asked.

"Hmm..." Aqua looked towards the reflections in silence for a moment before he spoke. "I'm not sure but... I think the rescue can take a few hours or hopefully less... but I hope that it'll be as early as possible."

Sunshine nodded and then for a moment was silent. Then she seemed to realize something.

"Uh oh... Aqua..." she spoke while blushing. "I'm... feeling a bit hungry at the moment, and not the one type. The other."

"What do you... you mean the kinda hunger for...?" Aqua blushed as he looked towards her. Knowing that she was a Changeling, he could guess which hunger she was talking about.

"Yes..." Sunshine admitted. "I could take some right now... but it'll drain you if it's not given to me willingly and... I don't wanna hurt you."

Aqua blushed a little more as he gave her a nod. "What if... I'm willing...?"

A slight smile was appeared on his glowing muzzle.

"Then... it won't hurt you," Sunshine answered.

"Then..." Aqua said with a reassuring tone as his blush went deeper. "I... I guess, I am... willing, so don't worry. I'll be alright."

Sunshine smiled and then her horn glowed softly as an aura of some kind surrounded Aqua and he felt an energy surge leave his body and enter the Changeling's. Yet it didn't feel like any negative effect had occurred when this happened. If anything, he felt slightly stronger. As for Sunshine, she was beaming a big thankful smile towards him.

"Thanks, Aqua," she said. "You're the best."

Aqua smiled as he brought his muzzle closer to hers for a lovely nuzzle. "It's okay... darn me if I deny a request from my... best filly friend."

Sunshine seemed to be surprised to hear this at first, then she snuggled up closer to him and he could hear her humming sound once more. Now that he thought about it, it was almost the equivalent of an insect themed purr. He also noticed by now that she only ever seemed to make this sound when she was around him. Nopony else ever seemed to get the same response from her.

Sunshine..." Aqua called her name softly, not feeling upset at that moment. "What are these comfy hums I hear from you?"

"Aunt Pinkie Pie says that Changelings make that sound when they're happy," Sunshine answered. "But not just happy... when they're with somepony... special to them.

She blushed hard upon saying that and looked away slightly while still smiling.

"Somepony special..." Aqua seemed to realized what she was saying. "Oh..." At this, Aqua couldn't resist but blush even more. "You mean like special- special...?"

"Special somepony?" Sunshine finished. Aqua passed her a nod with a reassuring smile while his aqua blue cheeks were glowing red.

"Yes, that..."

Sunshine blushed some more. "Well... I've never had... a special somepony before..."

"Me, neither..." Aqua said in similar manner, while tilting his head to the side out of habit. Sunshine giggled a bit and looked down at the ground, unsure of what to do now. Aqua too was not an expert over such situations, but then he recalled something which his mother told him, about how she had confessed her love for his father.

 _Should I... do that...? Wouldn't this be rude?_ he thought as he looked towards her face. A face in which he could see something more than eight eyes and a jagged horn. He could see a beautiful heart, a brave filly, and... an accepting friend. A sigh of hesitation escaped his breath as he brought his muzzle closer to her, until she felt their muzzles touch.

Sunshine's eyes widened in surprise as she felt a near-overwhelming sensation sweep over her. It was the warm fuzzy feeling she had felt around him from before, but never had it come as fast and as strong as this. She could also feel the love within him surge from him into her body at a rapid pace, yet for some reason it never drained him. It was an endless source that he was willingly sharing with her. It was almost intoxicating... yet she didn't want it to stop. Slowly, her eyes closed in bliss and the humming sound from her body became a little louder and more rhythmic.

As he heard and also felt her hums once again along with the feeling of nuzzling her, Aqua felt a surge of that strange yet, amazingly comfortable feeling and closed his eyes as well as he brought himself closer and closer to her. From the moment he pressed his lips on her's, time had seemed to slow down around them. Nothing he had ever felt could come close to the feeling he was experiencing then. The comfort and safety he was feeling at the moment was of a whole different level.

It was not too big a kiss, but it was still enough for them to realize what they felt for each other. When they pulled apart, Sunshine looked slightly giddy or tipsy.

"Wow..." she finally managed.

"That... was..." Aqua was feeling a little dazed as well, due to such overwhelming emotions.

"Does... that happen... every time?" Sunshine asked aloud. "I think I almost got drunk off of love... but it was so worth it!"

"I... don't know what to say," Aqua said with a soft giggle. "I feel... a little sleepy..."

"Oh..." Sunshine replied, then felt a yawn escape her. "I think I'm sleepy too..."

Aqua also let out a yawn at this. "So, does that... happen every time?"

"I dunno..." Sunshine looked out towards the cave entrance and noticed it was still late at night. A gust of wind blew into the cave and she shivered a bit. Aqua noticed this and went closer to her, keeping himself as close as she felt comfortable with.

"Is this alright?" Aqua asked. She nodded, then leaned up against him fully, giving a small happy sigh.

"Hmm! Your fur is so smooth..." she complimented. Aqua smiled with gratitude at this.

"Your... skin feels... warm as well," Aqua blushed. The Changeling blushed herself and nuzzled him a bit, snuggling closer to him in the process.

"Goodnight..." she yawned as she felt sleep overcoming her and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight..." Aqua replied as another yawn escaped his lungs and he too closed his eyes, snuggling closer to her as they slept.

* * *

"They're close. I can feel it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she led TD, Twilight, and Joy through the Everfree forest.

"Oh, I hope they're alright," Twilight muttered.

"They'll be fine," TD tried to reassure them. "Sunshine's a smart girl. She's probably found themselves a nice place to hide out in."

"I hope so," Joy said with concern. "Bubble is worried sick about both of them."

Pinkie suddenly jerked upwards and she made a slurping sound.

"Mmm! Tasty!" she said, then looked to the others as she pointed to a cave almost hidden away by the overgrowth. "They're in there!" "Okay... but why slurp the air?" TD asked.

"Because I just sensed a lot of love from the cave!" Pinkie answered. "That and I was hungry."

"Pinkie, did you said lots of love...?" Joy asked, and then without thinking much about this he took a sigh of relief. "Anyways, let's go get in there."

The Changeling monarch nodded and led them into the cave, where they came across a cute sight. The two foals were sleeping next to each other, snuggled up closely as their quiet snores filled the cavern.

"Oh my gosh! That is so cute, I almost don't want to wake them!" TD whispered as loudly as he dared. Joy's smile widened as he looked towards them as he made a muffled giggle of surprise.

"Oh, so that's how Cadence had felt, all those years ago..." Joy muttered to himself. They were sleeping so peacefully, he didn't even wanna make a sound to disturb them. TD looked to Twilight and she too was smiling. They exchanged a nod, and then TD made a gesture with his hand and the two of them levitated over to the adults, still snuggled up closely to each other. He then snapped his fingers and a small bubble appeared around them.

"Soundproof," he explained, no longer in a whisper. "They can't hear us. We'll let them sleep a bit longer as we return back to base. They look exhausted." He then noticed the time of day. "I'll raise the sun today."

Joy gave a small nod at this. "So thoughtful of you William," he said with a smile and then looked towards the children. "Thank goodness they are alright. Thank you so much Pinkie."

"Anytime, anywhere!" Pinkie exclaimed happily.

"Now we should head back..." Joy said. "The others must be waiting for us..."

"Ain't that the truth," TD agreed, then snapped his fingers and they all disappeared.

* * *

Twenty miles outside of Manehatten, Equestrian soldiers were preparing a defense for the city, as they had gotten a report not too long ago that an attack was scheduled by the Nameless One's troops to hit the city and steal some resources located underneath it. The civilians, luckily, had been evacuated long ago and the soldiers were all that remained, both voluntary and professional.

Tempus grunted as he paced around, his eyes flickering between his regular green eyes and the glowing red eyes of his dark personality as he muttered to himself, his voice constantly switching between his two personalities.

"This will never cease to amaze me," Tempus's Luna said to Star Seeker, who shrugged.

"Eh, I've written about weirder things," The unicorn said, before chuckling. "Although, this does make the top five weirdest things I've seen."

Joy and Bubble were also there along with the group. Joy was trying to stay aware as much as he could. Bubble trotting alongside him, worried deeply inside about the safety of her husband and others. A sigh escaped his breath as he looked around.

"Bubble," He suddenly called her.

"Yes, Joy?" Bubble replied

"Do you also feel like... that our troubles aregonna just get... bigger...? I mean..."

Bubble passed him a smile. "I don't know, but whatever happens, I hope we'll make this through..."

"Enemy sighted on our twelve!" a pegasus called from above. "I'm seeing heavy armor, artillery, and even some anti-air! Over one thousand plus foot soldiers so far as I can see."

"Speak of trouble..." Joy said as he transformed and summoned his weapon getting himself ready for the battle. Bubble gave a sigh of frustration and then made a determined expression as she passed him a nod. Nightmare growled as she glanced at Chris, who nodded once before his helmet shut, and his armor rippled as its cloaking function turned on.

"We aren't allowing them to get past us!" Tempus yelled. "Everypony fights their hardest! We will emerge victorious, and show these motherbuckers what Equestrians are made out of!" He shot a glance at Joy and where Chris had been and added. "And humans, no offense you two."

"None taken," Chris's voice said dryly out of thin air.

"I've counted myself as an Equestrian for twenty years, so no offense here either..." Joy smiled with a shrug. The enemy army continued to advance until they were just withing range and stopped. A robot walked to the front and addressed them in a loud voice.

"Equestrians, you are outmatched and outclassed! Disperse, or be destroyed!"

"Never!" Tempus yelled, before closing his eyes and opening them to reveal glowing red cat eyes tinged with green. His coat darkened slightly, and the next time he spoke, his voice had a darker echo to it and his teeth were jagged.

"We'll never surrender!" he yelled, before snapping off an order. "Task Force Omega, advance!"

"With pleasure," His world's Crystal Shard said as she pulled the Harmony Axe off her back, charging towards the enemy along with the rest of the squad as Chris presumably flew through the sky overhead, his suit cloaked. Joy grunted in anger as he flew above along with Bubble., as they both looked towards the army. Joy's eyes started to glow as Bubble charged her horn on full intensity once again.

"You chose the hard way! Open fire!" the robot called, then all his forces fired at once at the Equestrian army.

"Not on my watch!" Chris yelled, before he slammed into the ground in front of the Equestrian forces, his suit becoming visible once more as he pulled a rod from his arm and threw it on the ground, a force field erupting from it, extending across the ground and blocking all the enemy fire.

"What the- since when did they get an upgrade?!" one of the enemy humans shouted in alarm. Joy and Bubble took the advantage of their distraction and launched their attacks on the enemies within their range. Joy gave a loud shout, exploding a shock wave towards them, while Bubble shot a powerful energy beam towards the army. Their aim was true and much of the enemy front line fell before them. This seemed to make the leader get rather angry.

"Kill them! Somebody kill them!" he shouted.

"But what of the forcefield?" another solider asked.

"Switch to melee and break through to them!" he ordered. The men nodded, then started to rush towards the forcefield with laser swor- fine, Red. _Lightsabers_ and electric batons.

"THOU WILL NOT TAKE US!" Tempus's Luna suddenly shouted in the Canterlot Royal voice, before she charged at the enemy, her horn flaring. "Eh, guess I should go too..." Star Seeker said, before racing after her, pulling a Pyrunian gun from his saddlebag and powering it up, holding it aloft with his magic as he began to fire. Joy and Bubble looked towards each other and passed a smirk before they held each other's hoof and hand, launching a powerful energy attack of their combine force towards the enemies.

"TAKE THAT, YOU PIECES OF USELESS JUNK!" Bubble shouted in her Royal Canterlot voice. The enemy was thrown aside by the attack, but more kept pouring in towards the forcefield. The Equestrians did find themselves with one particular advantage at that point; the forcefield forced the enemy to be funneled in towards them, reducing the enemy's advantage in large numbers and giving them a fighting chance. So far, without support from the artillery and the anti-air, the enemy was falling.

But that soon changed when the large flagship appeared on the horizon. Tempus stared at the ship, before glancing at Chris.

"Fire the artillery!" He yelled, and the human nodded, pressing something on his suits arm that caused several massive Pyrunian canons to raise up from out of the ground, turning towards the ship before firing at once. The shots hit the ship and it started to go down. But as it got closer, they noticed that a large single figure jumped from the ship and landed on the ground in front of the enemy army. All stopped to acknowledge the four-armed, orange eyed robot who was giving a smirk at the ponies before him. He was at least a foot or two taller than TD, and the way he was designed made him almost seem like a robotic recreation of a human. A human with four arms.

"Impressive!" the Nameless One chuckled, now fully healed and pointing an electrified sword at Chris. "I have not encountered Pyrunian technology since my first rise to power."

As soon as the exotic couple noticed that figure, their smiles completely vanished. Joy gave a grunt as he and Bubble came into more defensive position.

"This can't be good..." Joy muttered as he looked towards Bubble.

"That is- that same robot who tried to kill us in our Equestria!" she shouted. Chris was stunned for a few seconds, before he narrowed his eyes, shooting into the sky high before his suit suddenly opened, ejecting the human into a free fall just as another suit shot towards him, opening up and closing around him in time for him to land. The human raised his arms towards the robot, Pyrunian tech sparking to life.

"Then I'm sure you'll like the Mark II suit," he growled, as Tempus walked forwards, his eyes glowing silver.

The Nameless One chuckled again. "Pyrunians were quite the impressive race, as well as their technology. Too bad they were all effortlessly creamed by one you call 'friend.' Some friend he is, if you ask me."

"TD is a friend I shall stand by to the end," Tempus said as a cold breeze rushed through the air. "And not _all_ Pyrunians were creamed."

Without any warning, a solid spike of ice shot towards The Nameless One as Michael Watcher appeared out of thin air, the Sword of Death aimed at the robot as the blade steamed with frost. The Nameless One looked to him, then smirked.

"Ah, the weakling of the bunch upon your planet's destruction," he scoffed. "I always thought William was too soft for his own good."

"I am no weakling." Michael said as his eyes glowed brightly. "I am Michael N. Watcher, son of Greyshadow and Shademist, Ice Elementalist of the highest degree, the speedster Shadowspeed, wielder of the Sword of Death, and the most powerful Pyrunian in existence."

"Basically, you're bucked up big time," Star Seeker said as he stepped forwards beside Tempus's Luna, his weapon aimed at The Nameless One. Joy and Bubble nodded to each other and flew towards their friends to help them. As Joy grunted in anger, the blood red aura washed over him as his wings changed to the same color, and his weapon, bathed in a bloody red glow, appeared in his hands, while his eyes on the one single enemy. The Nameless One.

"AND FOR THE RECORD, NO ONE SPEAKS OF WILLIAM LIKE THAT!"

"Oh, so it's introductions, is it?" the Nameless One asked with sarcasm. "Very well... They call me the Nameless One, because I have no name. I am the leading dictator of my planet and of my empire, which spans across ten galaxies. I have single-handedly defeated the poorly-named Terror of Dimensions in single combat; a villain who surpasses you all in power." He grinned. "Though I often wonder... is he really your friend, or is he just recruiting you for his own causes? Or perhaps, he's playing the fox, waiting for the right moment to strike once again...?"

"YOU WILL STOP TALKING OF OUR FRIEND LIKE THAT!" Luna yelled, blasting a beam of power at the robot. The Nameless One simply twirled one of his swords wickedly fast, and it somehow deflected the beam off his sword and harmlessly into the air.

"Do you honestly wish to challenge me?" he taunted. "I so do enjoy a challenge..."

"We both challenge you," Star Seeker said, and he raised his gun as Luna and him stepped forwards together. "And we'll defeat you."

"YOU BET YOUR METAL FLANK WE DO!" Joy taunted him as he appeared suddenly in front of him with his weapon prepared to launch a powerful strike on him. However, as soon as Joy had fully appeared, one of Nameless's fists suddenly lashed out at too fast a speed for Joy to anticipate, and he was sent flying back a few yards.

"Stay out of this, boy!" he yelled. "You're lucky the last time we met it wasn't personal and I was simply working for someone else as a contract!"

"You done talking?" Star Seeker growled as he opened fire, Luna taking to the air and beginning to fire beams of her magic at the robot. The Nameless One deflected their attacks with ease.

"You were working for someone...?" Joy asked as he was recovered from the strike, and stood up again and looked towards him with anger. "I DON'T CARE WHO THE TARTARUS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! WILLIAM IS MY FRIEND AND I WILL FIGHT BY HIS SIDE!"

Saying this he hovered towards Nameless once again.

"Come on then," he taunted as all four arms now held a weapon. "Show me what your worth is..."

"Gladly!" Joy took a deep breath and then launched a loud Shout towards the Nameless in hopes to startle him. The Nameless One just chuckled and tanked the Shout like it was nothing. Luna narrowed her eyes, before she charged up her horn and dove towards The Nameless One, hoping to attack him with her spell at close quarters. Seeing this, The Nameless One swiftly dodged to the side, and before she could pull out of the dive and away from him fast enough, his swords swung at a rapid pace towards her and she abruptly crash landed. It was only then that they realized that her wing had been cleaved clean off, the edge of one of Nameless's swords covered in blood and a few feathers.

"LUNA!" Star Seeker yelled, before he charged forwards, his eyes narrowing as his gun started to glow brighter and brighter as he fired at a faster pace, actually beginning to smoke slightly. Luna slowly stood, staggering slightly as her wound bled, but still determinedly ignited her horn and charged the robot. Joy was shocked with rage as he saw this; even though she wasn't the Luna he called his aunt, he still began to burn in rage once again, as his breath became more sharp. He started to glow more violently as he charged his weapon and hovered towards Nameless, while full of rage.. Nameless quickly parried Joy's attacks while shifting positions until both Star Seeker and Luna were on opposite sides of him, then waited until he knew that Star Seeker's weapon would fire. Right when it was about to, he vaulted over Luna's form, leaving her within the blast zone of Star Seeker's weapon, and presumably Joy as well.

"WHAT?!" Joy soon realized his intentions and started to feel a tight feeling in his stomach as he raised his hand in an attempt to create a forcefield bubble. "YOU BUCKING PIECE OF CRAP!"

"NO!" Tempus screamed, leaping forwards as his horn flared with magic, teleporting Joy out of harms way before trying to teleport Luna away, only to watch in horror as the shot struck Luna, then Star Seeker's gun exploded. The Guardian of Time quickly threw up a shield spell as a wave of energy slammed into it, rebounding off and dispersing a few seconds later.

"I COULD PROTECT MYSELF!" Joy shouted to Tempus in rage. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE LUNA?!"

"NO!" Tempus rushed over to where Luna lay, falling beside his sister just as Nightmare Moon materialized beside Luna as well, her cyan cat eyes full of tears.

"Guess... guess I got... good..." Luna said, coughing weakly. "Nightmare... you... you..." Failing to find the right words, the lunar princess used her magic and removed her crown, setting it on Nightmare's head before touching her horn with her own, her magic disappearing into the other alicorn just as a stream of magic started to be sucked into Tempus, and the Guardian of Time turned to see Star Seeker smiling weakly at him. As the last of their magic disappeared, the two slumped to the ground, their eyes glazing over.

"No..." Tempus said, before screaming. "NO!" A massive shockwave of energy shot outwards from him, and he turned towards The Nameless One, his eyes glowing red. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT YOU MOTHERBUCKER!"

"I'm sure I will," The Nameless One remarked. "But why don't you prove your own worth and take me on yourself?" He then focused on Joy for a moment. "Or are you too chicken to save the rest of your friends?"

"Don't. Ever," Tempus began as he walked towards The Nameless One, the air around him beginning to crackle with power as he drew on his Alicorn magic, Guardian magic, and Chaotic magic all at once. "Call me. A. Chicken!"

And with that, he sent a blast of pure power and magic at the robot, his eyes glowing bright red. The Nameless One actually seemed a bit surprised at this attack, but still attempted to leap out of the way. Even so, he was still affected and it was clear he was in pain when he stood up again. He grimaced, then snarled as he threw two of his swords at Tempus and the other two at Joy, each sword connected to a long chain. With a snarl, Tempus's eyes flared silver, and the swords froze in midair, frozen in time.

But then, to his surprise, The Nameless One looked to him with a growl, unaffected by the time stop. He gave the chains a firm grip and they suddenly started to fly through the air again. Joy by then had thankfully created a forcefield around him to save himself from the impact of the swords as he gave Nameless a very bitter look.

 _It's important to stop him, otherwise who knows how many other lives this monster will take..._ he thought to himself.

"I don't care whether I die today!" Joy charged his weapon once again. "I will rather die fighting!"

Saying this he began to channel more magic in his weapon as a smirk came upon his face.

 **"So, you want to pull a William, ey?"** Tempus sneered, his glowing red eyes narrowing as his dark personality scoffed. **"Luckily for me, I found an effective combo against William's immunity to time magic a while back."**

"Then by all means," Nameless chuckled as he pulled the swords back abruptly by their chains, "do your worst!"

 **"Trust me,"** Tempus snarled as his eyes turned pure red, no whites or irises left in them. **"I plan to."**

Without warning, around a thousand swords and spears materialized around The Nameless One, hovering far enough away as to no be cut out of the air yet. With a snort, Tempus sent them flying through the air towards the robot.

The Nameless One managed to deflect a majority of the blades Tempus had sent at him, but still at least five managed to find a mark and struck him in his legs and chest. He groaned and stumbled backwards a bit as a kind of blue goo-like substance started to ooze out from one of his wounds; his blood.

 **"How does it feel?"** Tempus sneered, his voice getting even darker as the air around him began to crackle with power. **"I'll make you suffer the pains of a thousand deaths for killing my sister and friend."**

As soon as Nameless had fallen, he barely noticed something swiftly coming towards him while glowing slightly with red energy. Throwing up two of his arms, Nameless just barely managed to block Blazing Edge flying through the air, but it still knocked him to the ground. Cursing, he quickly started to pull out the blades sticking into him and rose to his feet.

"I... underestimated you, Tempus. And you too, Prince Joy Star," he growled. "It would seem that you have gotten more powerful since your previous data records."

"You're smarter than you look!" Joy scoffed him as he raised his hand to summon his weapon back. "Aren't you?"

Tempus barked a harsh laugh, his eyes glowing a harsh red.

 **"You have no idea how much more powerful I am,"** He growled, as he aimed his horn at The Nameless One. **"You'll find out though."**

Without waiting for a reply, Tempus released another attack, combining his Alicorn, Guardian, and Chaotic magic. This time, however, Nameless actually dodged it successfully, and even managed to deflect Joy's weapon with precision mid-dodge. He smirked.

"You may have the power, but you don't need magical powers to win a war," he remarked. "True power comes to those who can control money, empires, soldiers."

 **"Soldiers do nothing,"** Tempus growled as his eyes flared red. **"If they're dead."**

Without any warning, half of Nameless's forces collapsed to the ground unmoving. Tempus grinned wickedly.

 **"And luckily, that happens to be one of my areas of expertise,"** he sneered. Michael shot a worried look at Tempus, before there was a blast of icy wind and the Pyrunian vanished.

Nameless sighed. "Guess that's another reason why you don't send humans to do a robot's job."

"Whatever!" Joy scoffed him once again while giving him a bitter look as he began to change his weapon once again, while exploding a shout towards the enemies in his range, damaging many of them.

"These robots?" Joy couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "I can fight them the whole day; they're a simple target for my shouts."

"You mean the Shouts you learned from the one I defeated?" Nameless scoffed himself. "You may have what he's taught you, but you'll never be as good as him. He will always be the more powerful."

 **"And sometimes power is all it takes!"** Tempus screamed as he shot another blast of power at The nameless One. However, before it could reach the robot, there was a blast of icy wind, and a beam of white magic struck the energy, causing it to disperse into mist.

"Tempus, enough," Michael said, as he flicked a hand at their enemy and surrounded the robot in a sphere of metal with six-foot thick walls. "You need to calm down. This isn't you."

 **"I'll calm down when that bucker is dead!"** Tempus screamed at his friend, his horn igniting with magic. **"And I'll go through you if necessary!"**

"I know you'd go through him, but would you go through me too?" another voice suddenly asked as TD appeared before Tempus.

 **"If I have to, I will!"** Tempus snarled, no sign of his other personality present.

 _"I'll restrain him, you snap him out of it."_ Michael said telepathically to TD, before swooping down and sending a blast of magic at Tempus, freezing his legs to the ground. Tempus snarled, before beginning to choke as Michael landed beside him and grabbed his horn, also slipping an arm around his neck.

"NOW TD!" The Pyrunian yelled, straining to keep the alicorn still.

"Tempus, you need to regain control," TD told him. "Strike a balance with the two side of you, and COME BACK!"

Combo of command spells and explaining.

"Oh, shut up Author!" TD yelled. "Now is NOT the time!"

 **"He... needs... to pay!"** Tempus screamed, forcing himself free from Michael's grip. **"He killed my sister and friend!"**

"Becoming a murderer won't bring them back Tempus." Michael murmured. "You know that."

"Tempus, if you kill him like this, you'll be no better than he is," TD reasoned. "They wouldn't want you to be like that. And I know that you're not like that..."

This all caught Joy a little off guard as he saw what was happening. Nevertheless, he was ready to strike another attack on the enemies as he began to charge his weapon once again. Tempus seemed to freeze, and slowly his eyes reverted back to having whites and a pupil, albeit still glowing red.

 **"But... my sister..."** he murmured, before his eyes went back to green and the alicorn collapsed, starting to shake as the grief he had hidden by letting his dark personality take control came out, and he started to cry, not caring who saw him. TD was silent for a bit, letting him release his sorrow before turning back to the metal sphere the Nameless One was residing in since then... only to realize that he could no longer sense his presence within the metal prison.

"Um... guys, we might have a problem," he said aloud. Michael hissed, muttering a few Pyrunian curses.

"Where'd old tin can go?" He asked, turning in a circle as he flared his wings out, his sword in hand. Joy started to get upset as soon as he realized what TD was implying. Clenching his weapon in his fist, he began to look around trying to stay as much on guard as he could possibly be. Suddenly, TD looked in Joy's direction and his face went wide with horror.

"JOY, LOOK OUT!" he shouted impossibly loud, and not even a second later the Robot Master burst out of the ground from behind the other human, his blades poised for the kill. He had tunneled under the ground and was now ready to land a killing blow on the prince. Joy was too surprised to react to the attack; there was no possible way that he could survive that hit. As he looked behind, only a gasp of shook escaped his mouth as his eyes closed, ready to embrace his death. As soon as he heard the sound of a blade slashing into flesh, he opened his eyes to see blood dripping on the ground... but the sword hadn't even touched him. His eyes widened with shock like he never felt before and he felt like time had slowed down as he saw who's blood it was.

"C-Coward!" Bubble snarled at The Nameless One before coughing out some blood. Joy's eyes began to blaze with anger as he grabbed The Nameless One in his aura grip and rose him into the air before smashing him on the ground. He quickly looked towards Bubble, and grabbed her in his arms.

"I told you to stay in cover!" Joy yelled in panic. "Why can't you listen to me?"

Bubble just passed him a smile as she caressed her hoof on his cheek. "I- I love you... too."

Tempus snarled, and his eyes flared, turning into the eyes of his unified personalities; glowing red cat eyes tinged with green.

"Let's see how well you fight us when we stand together," Tempus spoke, his voice having a dark echo as two swords appeared beside him, and he charged towards The Nameless One, only to skid to a stop as Michael held out a hand.

"No. I'll fight him," The Pyrunian said as he raised his sword and advanced on the robot, his eyes narrowed.

"No, you'll die too!" TD protested. "Besides, this is my fight."

"How about this? I choose for you!" The Nameless One suddenly remarked as he rushed over to TD with blinding speed... only to stab thin air as TD teleported near to his friends, a look of surprise on his face.

"I should not have been able to avoid that," he said aloud, then grinned as he looked to the glowing amber stone of a ring on his finger. "Thanks, Diego! Combined with my Shadow powers, that was almost too fast!"

"TD, I appreciate the concern, but I can hold my own," Michael said as with his left hand he pulled a silver coin from his pocket, and flipping it he caught it, a very familiar axe appearing in his hand.

"Why Bubble?" Joy asked her. "Why did you get yourself hurt?"

"That monster was going to kill you..." Bubble manged to say. "I just couldn't let myself see that..."

"Your wound..." Joy said, looking towards where the sword had been slashed into her. "Oh no! It's oozing so badly..." he exclaimed before removing his shirt and ripping it into small pieces, before placing a piece on her wound and then wrapping some pieces around her torso to stop the blood from flowing out.

 _That shouldn't have happened..._ Joy thought as he tried to hold himself together. Tempus walked up beside TD, glancing at his friend.

"Michael is better at fighting then you know William," The alicorn said softly. "Let him show our _friend_ Mr. Tin Can just what he can do."

TD sighed. "With all due respect, you don't know him like I do."

"Enough already! I don't have time for this!" The Nameless One shouted impatiently, then to his men (or what was left), "Fall back to Canterlot."

The remaining enemy soldiers saluted and made their way back towards Canterlot as The Nameless One just stood there for a while, as if unsure whether to attack or try to talk.

"Buck yourself... you bucking son of..." Joy muttered as he gave the Nameless One another look of fury and rage. Tears started to flow from his eyes rapidly as he noticed how bad the wound was. "Don't worry Bubs... you'll be... alright..."

"Now would be a good time for my powers to return," TD muttered under his breath.

"William," Michael said as he turned to face him. "You don't know everything about me. Let me do this and show our enemy just what he's fighting against. _Trust me._ "

Tempus hurried over to Joy and Bubbles, looking down as he ignited his horn, scanning the alicorn to see if there was anything that he could do to help.

"Your alicorn friend cannot be saved from her wounds," The Nameless One spoke up. "My blade was specifically tailored for magical beings right when I attacked." He sighed, sounding a bit sad. "Though... she was not my intended target."

"Oh sure," TD scoffed. "NOW you're sorry."

"Tempus..." Joy muttered as he looked towards him. "We need to help..."

"I can hold back death, but I don't know if I can prevent it... although doing this will cause me to have to be carried around until I end the spell..." Tempus said, as he ignited his horn before bending down and touching Bubble's head, almost immediately collapsing beside her as the spell took effect.

"William, let me fight him," Michael said firmly. "I'll be fine."

"But... I..." TD stammered.

"Nobody is going to be killing anybody anymore today," The Nameless One remarked. "The hour is now late according to the time of my homeworld and on this day... it would be my darling's birthday." He sheathed his swords. "And a tradition I hold to heart is to honor her by sparing all others upon hitting the thirteenth hour of my planet."

Bubble took a deep breath right when Tempus used his spell. "J-Joy... I don't think... that'll-"

"No, don't say that... we'll find a way to save you..." Joy said with a hopeful sigh.

"Know that we'll be meeting again Nameless." Michael said as he sheathed his sword, hanging his axe by his belt. "And next time, I will end up fighting you."

The Pyrunian quickly hurried over to kneel beside Joy and Bubble, picking up Tempus and slinging the alicorn over his shoulder.

"BE CERTAIN!" Joy shouted, giving a warning look to the Nameless One. "NEXT WE MEET, THAT'LL BE YOUR END!"

"That is quite... debatable," The Nameless One remarked, then he started pushing some buttons on a control device on his arm.

"Nameless," TD spoke up, causing him to pause. "Before the sun sets on my own homeplanet, I WILL end you once and for all."

The Nameless One gave a smile that almost seemed friendly. "Until we meet again... my old enemy."

He pressed a final button and a beam of light engulfed him and caused him to disappear. TD gave a sigh when he did, then frowned as he noticed something. That frown soon turned into a scream.

"REALLY?! Now my powers return, AFTER he's gone!?"

As Michael adjusted Tempus, the Pyrunian looked over to where Nightmare was still standing still, not having moved once since Luna had passed. He glanced at TD and jerked his head towards the alicorn, making it obvious TD should go over to her. TD nodded and walked over to Nightmare.

"Nightmare... Nightmare!" he yelled, snapping his fingers in front of her face for a reaction. Nightmare blinked, glancing at TD, her cyan cat eyes full of tears as she used her own magic to levitate Luna's crown off her head.

"I.. I... I'm not ready for this..." she murmured. "Luna... she... she's given me so much responsibility..."

"Nightmare," TD interrupted gently so as to keep her attention. "You can do it. She would not have chosen you if she thought she couldn't rely on you." He gave her a small reassuring smile. "I believe in you, just as she believes in you. Now you have to believe in yourself."

"But... I'm nothing like her TD... What if the inhabitants of our world don't accept me as the new Lunar Princess?" Nightmare asked, her voice shaking.

"You're right, you're not her," TD agreed, startling her before he continued. "You are you. You are unique and special in your own way, and you don't need to be exactly like someone else to be a good leader. And after all you've done for her and your friends, I'd say that anyone who wouldn't accept you is a hypocrite who knows NOTHING about what makes a good leader. Your past does not define you, no matter what anyone says. All that matters are your choices now in the present."

"Thank- thank you TD," Nightmare said, smiling as she put the crown back on. "That's... that's exactly what I needed to hear."

"I try," TD replied with a shrug, then his face became serious again. "Now, let's check up on Bubs."

"And my brother," Nightmare added, hurrying over to check on Tempus. Joy was still holding Bubble close to himself to comfort her. Her wound was covered with the pieces of the Joy's shirt. It stopped the blood from flowing at the moment, but her condition wasn't looking too good.

"William, her wound is too bad... we need to do something, quick!" Joy shouted.

"And Tempus has basically exhausted his magical stores trying to hold back death, but he won't be able to keep it up for long," Michael added.

"Uh... I can't do much in healing spells," TD remarked. "But I know someone who can help. We need to get them back to Everfree!" He then looked to Bubble's wound. "This wound is beyond the skill of our own medics, for it is not any normal sword she was struck with."

"But... you know we can do something, right?" Joy asked in so much of worry "Zecora, she can find a cure for her, right?"

"I sure as cus hope so, Joy," TD answered, not making any promises. He then turned to Nightmare and Michael. "Bring Tempus to Discord's castle to rest. In the meantime, Joy and I will get Bubble over to the castle of Friendship while we alert Zecora. Red may be able to keep her alive long enough for Zecora to arrive." He then remembered something and added, "If you happen to find Plank or Hummingbird in the forest, tell them to alert Zecora ASAP. Godspeed!"

He then snapped his fingers before any more words could be exchanged and disappeared with Joy in a flash of light.

"Well, that was... interesting," Michael said, before him and Nightmare disappeared in a gust of icy wind.

"And I guess we stay to defend the outpost." Tempus's Crystal Shard muttered as she flicked her tail and called Task Force Omega back to the outpost.

* * *

As soon as the new dawn arrived, the rays of sunshine coming through the window were the first thing Aqua felt, besides a strange fragrance he felt over him, and the feeling of being in the warm embrace of his filly friend on a soft and comfy mattress. He made a grunt of discomfort as he pulled the covers of a blanket over his face.

Wait! Bed? Blanket? Aqua was a little surprised and he took a moment to realize that they weren't in the cave anymore.

"How...?" He took a yawn as he was still lying in the bed, snuggled close to Sunshine, "...did we get here?" he muttered. Sunshine stirred and slowly, one by one, her eyes opened up and looked over at Aqua.

"Oh... it wasn't a dream," she said happily and nuzzled up to him a bit, then frowned as she too realized they weren't in the cave anymore.

"Did they find us while we slept?" she asked aloud.

"I... guess so," Aqua replied as a blush appeared on his face.

Just then, a door opened nearby and they realized that they were inside a cottage of some kind. More specifically, the cottage of Zecora and said zebra was trotting about the room while her pegasus friend Hummingbird was walking in with some kind of herbs.

"Rise and shine, little Aqua and Sunshine," Zecora greeted. "You slept well last night, despite your previous plight."

"Aunt Zecora?" Sunshine was confused. "How did we-?"

"Some of your family passed on by with you, and I didn't have the heart to wake you two," she replied. "So I laid you down in bed, and did not disturb you sleepyheads."

"Oh, so that's why we're here..." Aqua said with a giggle.

"It makes sense," Sunshine agreed. She then noticed they were still snuggled close and she blushed a bit. As if noticing this, her humming sound came again, low and soft. Aqua just gave a light blush at this and sighed in relaxation, as he heard that sweet hum once again. Zecora gave a smile.

"Young love is beautiful to see, and more lovely than my best of teas," she remarked.

"Mhm!" Hummingbird agreed, the closest she seemed to get at speaking, as she set the herbs down near Zecora's cauldron.

"Ah, thanks?" Aqua said with a confused smile.

Zecora chuckled, then asked, "Are you hungry? It may seem late, but it's still only half-past eight."

Sunshine thought for a moment. "I... could go with something. Aqua?"

As she asked, Aqua's tummy made a grumble loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. A sheepish smile came upon his muzzle. "Umm, yes please..."

"Then let me see what I have in my tree," Zecora replied and trotted off into a different room. Hummingbird, meanwhile, looked back to them and gave a giggle. Her eyes gave a clear message that seemed louder than words: _"You two look so adorable together."_

Aqua passed her a smile of gratitude at this, as a blush appeared on his face. Then he looked towards Sunshine and asked, "You sleep well, Sunshine?"

"Mhm!" she answered. "Best I've slept in weeks."

"Me too..." Aqua replied. "It was so cozy... like sleeping with mommy but... different."

Sunshine giggled and gave him another nuzzling, earning another hum from her in the process. Aqua nuzzled her back as he smiled while hearing her sweet hums. In a few moments, Zecora came back with a steaming plate of toast and eggs.

"I'm afraid today there wasn't much to spare, so I hope that you two can share," she apologized.

"It's okay Aunt Zecora," Sunshine reassured. "Changelings don't eat much solid foods anyways. We'll manage."

Aqua gave a nod in reassurance. "Thanks Aunt Zecora."

"You are welcome," she said, which somewhat surprised Aqua that she didn't follow up with a rhyme. Sunshine explained it to him though.

"Sometimes, it's hard for her to make things rhyme all the time, so she often takes a break," she said, using Celestia's magic given to her to levitate their breakfast to a small table near the bed.

"I see," Aqua said with a giggle as he looked towards the breakfast.

"Oh, you can take first choice," Sunshine assured him. "There's not much I can have on it... except for the yokes."

Really?" Aqua asked as he levitated a levitated a pieces of toast towards him. "Why so?"

"Well, Changelings usually aren't born able to eat solid foods, except for Pinkie's hive," Sunshine explained. "It's kind of like how mosquitoes can only drink liquids as their food." She gave a shrug. "Only we feed off love instead of blood and such."

"Oh," Aqua nodded in understanding, as he took a bite and munched on it for a moment before swallowing. "Actually, I am still learning about changelings..." he said sheepishly.

"Really?" Sunshine looked interested at this topic. "Well, there's not much I can tell you about my own species, but in general we survive off of the emotions others give off, although we can also drink liquids like other ponies." She then blushed a bit. "To be honest, I'm kinda feeding off you right now. It's a passive thing we can do. The only time it can be harmful is if the one being fed off of is unwillingly having it taken or if they're unaware that the one taking the love from them is a Changeling. That's what the disguises are supposedly for, but I've never had to use it much for that reason nor do I want to."

"It's a good thing, you know..." Aqua said with a blush. "You look best the way you are...no matter what any selfish and mean pony say..."

Sunshine's eyes widened in joyful surprise. "That's... the nicest thing any colt has ever said to me."

"I really mean it." Aqua said with a reassuring tone, as he tilted his head and passed her a small grin.

"I know you do... and that just makes it much sweeter," she answered, giving him a small hug. "Thanks."

Aqua smiled reassuringly, then focused back on his breakfast again, as he finished off the first piece of toast and took another after that. Tere was no more conversation during the rest of breakfast. After breakfast was over, Zecora asked if they could help her clean up her tree's interior, which was a bit dusty. They spent the rest of their morning dusting down the place. Sunshine especially was a great help, walking along the walls to reach areas that otherwise were unreachable before. In no time, the place was looking spic and span. Sadly, that's when trouble came knocking... again.

The door flew open and the form of a Timberwolf was seen in the doorway, whining and barking desperately at them.

"Plank?" Sunshine asked, giving her head a 180 turn to get a better look at him from where she currently was on the ceiling. Even in such a manner, despite how disturbing some may have thought it to be, it was clear that she was concerned. Plank whined again and barked, making Zecora's eyes widen.

"Princess Bubble Heart has been terribly wounded!" she shouted.

"WHAT?!" Sunshine exclaimed, falling off the ceiling in her surprise.

"WHAT?!" Aqua shouted in shock. "Mom!"

Zecora looked to Hummingbird.

"Grab my supplies and let's hurry along! This may be Bubble Heart's last song!" she ordered urgently. Hummingbird gave a quick nod to acknowledge that she had heard her, then rushed into another room to find the supplies. Zecora looked over to the two foals.

"You will have to come with me, for it's not safe to be alone in my tree," she told them.

"Okay," Sunshine managed as she stood to her feet, then remembered her head was still not on straight. She fixed it with a quick twist of her neck.

"Mom!" Aqua had already started to cry. "Sunshine... will she be alright?"

Sunshine gave him a hug. "I don't know..." she admitted. "I'd hope so..."

Hummingbird came back in the room with many herbs and a first aid kit, the latter being an odd sight in her tree. Zecora placed them in a satchel she had strung over her back, then they all stood close to Plank, who was whining impatiently.

"Patience my friend, her life is not yet at an end," Zecora told the Timberwolf, then pulled out what seemed to be a strange looking garlic bulb and threw it to the ground in front of them. When she did, it caused a flash of light to appear, and then they disappeared. As Aqua opened his eyes again, they were seemingly in the Friendship Castle's med center.

"Zecora, Hummingbird you're here!" Joy exclaimed as he saw the two of them along with the children. He was kneeling beside a bed which Bubble was currently lying in, not looking too good for wear. TD came into the room just then and looked between them.

"Oh, Zecora! Glad you're back!" he remarked.

"Tell me what has happened," Zecora demanded.

"She... was attacked by... The Nameless One," TD answered, sniffing a bit. "The rat recovered from his wounds and stabbed her!"

"Buck him to the deepest pits of hellish Tartarus!" Joy muttered in anger, as he was standing close to her bed, knelt down while he was continuously stroking her mane. "Trust me Bubs, you'll be alright," Joy spoke to her as a sob left his breath. "And look, our little foal is here."

Bubble looked towards where Aqua and Sunshine were standing and smiled.

"Mom!" Aqua trotted to his mother's side while Sunny and Bold were already standing there. Both looked like as they were trying to hold back their tears.

"You both are... here..." Bubble giggled slightly to see her youngest son and his filly friend, and she used her wing to grab him in a hug. "I'm... so glad to see that."

Aqua returned the hug where he was.

"Princess Bubble... are you going to be okay?" Sunshine asked her. Zecora, meanwhile, was inspecting the wounds on Bubble and her expression was grim, even as she and Hummingbird were dressing the wounds with some of their medical supplies. Plank gave a whine and looked to her with a pleading look in his eyes.

"I'll be-" a cough interrupted her "-fine..." Bubble said as she looked towards her "...while you all are here."

Zecora inspected the wounds more thoroughly, then sighed in sadness.

"She will not survive sadly, for she is wounded too badly," she muttered.

"Are. You. Serious?" TD groaned. "How many have to die?!"

"My sweetie," Bubble spoke as she brought her hoof towards his face and wiped a few of his tears. "Is this... sad face is the last thing, you want me to see..." Bubble whispered to Joy with a pleading tone.

"Please don't say this as..." Joy whispered as his eyes began to shed tears rapidly.

"What-" Bubble giggled as she brought her hoof closer to his nose for a boop. "Can't... have fun while I still have time?"

TD couldn't help but give a small smile when he saw this, then he knelt down at the bedside.

"Bubble..." he said. "I know I wasn't the best of friends to you or your family..." He sighed. "So... if I ever did anything to offend you... I'm asking now if you'll forgive me for my actions..."

"I... don't have any grudge... over you," Bubble gave a sad smile "And if I ever had... I forgive you..."

"No!" Aqua suddenly cried. "You'll be alright... I will not lose you... we'll find a way!" He looked towards the others, who all wore a saddened expression on their faces. "Why doesn't somepony say something?!"

Joy began to shed tears once again as he saw this.

"Joy... Bubble..." TD spoke again. "I promise you, by my word as a Guardian of Existence and by the powers vested in me..." He sighed before he finished. "I will end this once and for all, and you shall be avenged."

There wasn't any respond gievn at the moment, as everypony there was still trying to hold their sobs in, most of all Joy and his foals. Plank whined again and walked over to Bubble's bedside and gave her a small lick to the face as if to reassure her or comfort her.

"Oh Plank..." Bubble giggled as a cough escaped her lungs once again bringing all concerned looks at her once again. "You're sad too..."

The Timberwolf made another small whine and laid his head on the bed beside her, close enough for her to pet his head if desired.

"Hmm, you want to be pet...?" Bubble smiled as she weakly brought her hoof to pet the sad Timberwolf. "Is it... good?"

Plank's eyes gave a sad smile and his tail wagged slightly in answer. Joy kissed Bubble's hoof as he stroked her messy mane away from her right eye.

"Bubs, I truly wish I..." Bubble placed her hoof on his lips with a sad and reassuring smile.

"None can decide... how that's supposed to happen..." She whispered as Joy eyes began to fill with tears all over again, and so did Bubble's. Aqua was still sobbing while snuggling close to his mother's side, while Bold and Sunny were standing beside their father while still sobbing and shedding tears. Then Bubble gave TD a questioning look, which was clearly implying only one bitter question.

 _"How much time?"_

 _"I'd say a few more minutes at most,"_ he answered telepathically, the tears forming in his eyes as well.

Bubble gave a weak nod at this and spoke. "Sunny."

"Ye-yes mom..." Sunny said

"Come here, my little sunshine..." Bubble said and Sunny went closer to her mother. Bubble looked towards her daughter as her horn started to glow along with Sunny herself, and after a moment the glow on Bubble's horn ceased along with the one around Sunny's body.

"It's gift from me... a legacy that... I hope you'll carry on after..." Sunny didn't let her mother finish before she and Bold literally wrapped her in a hug with their hooves. Bubble wrapped them in return. "There- there..." she whispered "Be- strong my foals... you daddy needs you..."

Sunshine felt herself crying as well and walked over to the bedside to look at Bubble, all eight eyes focusing on the alicorn.

"Princess Bubble..." she said tearfully, "I know we haven't known each other for long... but I'm gonna miss you..."

"Well, guess... it's never- too late..." Bubble was clearly having a little trouble with breathing now. "I still- have some... room for you..." She said, opening her wing towards her, on the same side as she grabbed Aqua in a hug as well, who was saying. "I'll never get angry anymore... please don't leave me..."

Plank made another whimper and gave a slight howl as well. TD gave the Timberwolf a pat.

"Hush Plank," he said softly. "Don't cry. Stay strong... for them..."

Sunshine hugged Bubble along with the others, the tears splashing down thick and fast from her eyes as she felt their combined sorrows wash over her in waves.

"Sunshine..." Bubble whispered as she focused her attention towards the Changeling filly, "Please... take care of... my little foal for me... and... if he gets... cran- cranky... don't be harsh... on him..."

Sunshine's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, then she gave a small nod.

"I- I promise... I'll take... care of him," she answered. Bubble sighed with a sob and nodded as she released all of them from the group hug and looked towards her husband.

"My sweet beloved," she smiled sadly as Joy came closer to her while still holding her hoof in his hand.

"...A little closer..." she said while her breath started to get a little more upset, and Joy brought his face more closer to her. Then her horn started to glow as every one in the room started to hear a quite melodious yet sad tone, but that music wasn't coming from anywhere outside. It was as if it was coming from within themselves and from all around them at the same time. Joy recognized this tone very clearly, but instead of being full of happiness, this time its rhythm was slow. Joy took another sob as he heard this. Plank whimpered again and TD started petting him to try and comfort the Timberwolf the best he could, but he too was struggling with his tears. Sunshine was already quietly sobbing, unable to contain her grief any longer.

A flashback of all the memories with Bubble rushed in her mind as he heard that tone and remembered that song.

 **-Flashback- (Italics are lyrics to the son)**

 _So, you can give me your heart_

"Joy, I've wrote a new song for you!"

 _I won't let it torn apart_

"Did that royal jerk said something to you again?! Now he's done for!"

 _I'll cherish this for me_

"There is only one star who's my favorite! And that's you, Joy Star!

 _And I'll cherish this for you_

"UNCLE BRIGHT! If you can't respect him, then you can forget that you have a niece either!"

 _And when you call my name_

"The most special day of my life is today! Oh! I feel like the happiest mare in whole of Equestria!"

 _I won't be far away_

"I'll never leave your side because... a wise mare always keeps an eye on her husband."

 _Wherever will you go_

"This is such a beautiful night, isn't it."

 _You'll never be alone_

"I guess I can use something sweet right now."

 **-End of flashback-**

Joy noticed that they both were kissing once again, being obscured by Bubble's wings as for one last moment she wanted him all for herself. That kiss lasted for more then a few moments before they pulled away and Bubble gave a final look to Joy's sad smile... and then her wings dropped... lifeless on her side. Plank gave a long and low howl of sadness right about then, while TD helped close Bubble's eyes all the way.

"Addio, Bubble Heart," he said in Italian, for whatever reason. "Trova la pace nella morte."

Sunshine was also crying aloud now, for yet another friend had been stolen from her because of this war. It was a terrible, terrible experience for her. Joy, Sunny, and Bold was now crying aloud as well, but Aqua's sorrow was beyond compare. He was shedding tears while still snuggling close to his mother's form.

"No!" Aqua shouted. "Mom, please say something!" His rage began to trigger as he broke to unstoppable tears, as Sunny went closer to him to comfort. He hissed as he looked towards her while his eyes were again now a fiery orange. The only one in the family who knew how to comfort him was Joy, and today he himself needed comfort badly, as he was crying while nuzzling his face in her wing.

"Aqua..." Sunshine spoke, placing a hoof on his shoulder and causing him to turn her direction. Once he did, she suddenly gave him a hug before he could react to anything else. He showed a slight resistance as she did this, but then within a moment his eyes reverted to normal. As he realized that Sunshine was hugging him, he sobbingly returned the hug.

"Sunshine..." Aqua whined. "Why did this happen?"

"I don't know..." she admitted, hugging him tighter. "But... we'll get through it together... I'll always be there..."

TD couldn't compose himself any longer and started crying himself. So many had died, so many had been lost... all because of a mistake he made so many years ago. It wasn't fair! And the Nameless One was still out there. He'd still kill more of them off. Unless...

TD clenched his fist and started to walk off. Plank noticed this and gave a worried bark, for he knew that it was never good news to see his master act this way.

"Sleep well, my sweetheart..." Joy muttered as he caressed his hand on her wing with affection for one last time, before folding this back to her side, and looked down for a while, still kept shedding tears. TD stopped at the door meanwhile and then he spoke.

"I'm sorry... this is all my fault," he managed between tears. "If I had only stopped him for good the first time... this would never have happened. If I hadn't been so selfish and if I hadn't been foolish enough to believe he was dead the first time... this never would have happened." A sigh escaped him. "But I'll never give up. I _will_ finish what I should've finished years and years ago... for all of you."

There was obviously no response at the moment, but the demise of his dear beloved had begun to stir something bitter deep within Joy's very soul. In some dark corner of his mind, he saw himself looking towards a pair of glowing red eyes. This was something which was enclosed within him since the day he was born, something which was only held passive because of the love shared to him by his very sweetheart, who sadly was no more. Then suddenly a very dark chuckle was heard as Joy suddenly looked up, wondering what that was.

"I thought..." Joy said, then he shook his head and looked towards the lifeless form of Bubble once again. "It doesn't matter... my sweetheart needs her last rights..."

TD nodded. "I'll leave you be with her for a while."

He then left the room with Plank following after him out of a sense of curiosity and concern. Meanwhile, Sunshine kept hugging Aqua, almost as if she'd lose him too if she did.

 _I lost my Mommy and I lost many of my friends,_ she thought to herself. _Please, I don't want to lose him too..._

Joy sighed deeply as he looked towards his beloved's form for one last time before he made a final decision.

"So, she'll be alright until we take her back to my own world."

"Well, yes that's the plan," TD admitted. "I know a guy who can preserve her body until it's ready to be brought back."

"I don't know..." Joy said caressing his own hair in distress "I... okay... my beloved's form will get the respect she deserves... and I think... I'll be fine with this whole preserving thing..."

"Good," TD answered, then to himself so Joy wouldn't hear, "He is absolutely going to despise me when he hears this."

* * *

"You want me to do what?" Chuck asked. Not exactly enthused to be in the presence of them or be adhering to a request from them.

"Preserve Princess Bubble's body with that... goo stuff used to preserve Cocoon and the other monarchs in this hive, until she can be brought back to her own world," TD stated. "It's not hard to catch on to what I was talking about, Chuck."

"You want me to put someone with no connection to the family that's been lying there for all this time just among them? Ha!" He laughed bitterly. "Sure, sure, and while I'm at it, why don't I just open it up for the public?" he replied snidely.

"That was actually gonna be my first request, but Pinkie beat me to it about a week ago," TD admitted.

"Listen to me Chuck!" Joy suddenly spoke in a somewhat intimidating, yet sad voice. "I'm not that amused by the thought of preserving my sweetheart's form instead of... but I don't have a choice..." Joy then wiped a few of his tears before he continued. "I know we don't know each other very well but... IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT WE'VE SAID WHILE WE STILL HAVE TIME, YOU'D BETTER HAVE SOME PLACE IN THE PRESERVING CHAMBER FOR YOURSELF!"

"Is that a threat, you little brat?" Chuck replied, gritting his teeth. "Despite the insolence on BOTH of your accounts, I will do it. Not because I like either of you, but because having suffered loss, I can at least pretend to care or at the very least understand," he concluded

"Pretend to understand?" TD said with a sarcastic tone. "Oh, you understand, buddy. Don't try to pretend you don't." He looked outside and added, "Well, I'd better get going before the cavalry gets in here and Pinkie accuses me of threatening to end your life."

He walked out of the hive without another word, grumbling to himself the whole way, mostly seeming to direct it at Chuck.

"Thanks..." Joy's voice died down as he heard this and he came towards the monarch. "I promise, I'll repay you however I can..."

"I can really hate that self righteous little bastard sometimes," Chuck muttered, just audible enough. "Don't worry about repaying me. I don't need anything," he spoke to Joy on a lighter note.

"Still, what you're doing for us..." Joy said leaning to the monarch's level "...meant to me and my passed away beloved so much... and I apologize if I lost myself for a while. You're a nice Changeling, Chuck," Joy said as tears began to shed from his eyes once again, and he stood up. "I don't we should wait anymore... I'm no expert but..."

"You're very right. There's no time to lose," he replied.

 **-Time skip-**

Some time later, Bubble's body was brought into the hive and encased in goo that hardened up for preservation. Her peaceful smile could still be seen on her face even from outside the cocoon she was placed in, giving her a look that made it seem as if she was asleep rather than dead.

"Alright. That should do it," Chuck remarked. "It's good that we did it when we did. We were almost too late."

Joy didn't reply to his statement. Instead he just passed him a nod, as he caressed his hand once again on the cocoon, looking towards the peaceful smile on her face.

 _My sweetheart,_ Joy thought as he began to sob once again. _I'll never forget you, and no mare can ever replace you, ever. I still love you as much as I did while we were young_ _.._ _._ A few more sobs were made by him. _I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you..._ Then he finally wiped his tears.

"Alright," Chuck said. "I'll have some men transport her to the burial chambers. Now, we had better leave," he said to Joy.

"Alright..." Joy replied as he gave the cocoon one final look. "Goodbye..."

Some Changelings entered the room with some solemn looks and gave Chuck a small bow.

"Everything is prepared, my king," one of them stated.

"Good," Chuck nodded. "Take her now. We must be leaving." He ordered. "Um, please," He added, starting to leave.

"I always feel bad," he explained to Joy. "I mean, I'm the king of these guys and giving orders is my job, but I mean, king or not, gotta say 'please and thank you;' that's something a lot of monarchs forget."

"Good to know," Joy said as he was still sobbing. The monarch noticed this, and sighed quietly.

"I know," he said. "Believe me, I know."

Joy passed him a nod in sympathy and began to leave. Then he remembered what Bubble had told him, even before the war had started.

 _"And even if something happens to tear us apart... promise me, you'll never give up hope... promise me."_

"She knew that this was coming..." Joy muttered to himself. "SHE KNEW!" Joy shout in grief as he looked towards the horizon. "Nameless One, you hear me!?You're dead! DeadI tell you! For what you've done to my sweetheart! I'll make you suffer!"

* * *

 **Oh dear... Joy seems to be headed towards a dark path.**

 **So, I thought I should bring this up just in case there were questions: Sunshine and Aqua are a bit young according to human standards to be dating. Well, not according to pretty much all Equestrian standards I've seen in other stories. Seriously, in one story it talks about getting married at an age as young as fifteen. It makes sense to me, given that in real life, animals tend to be "grown up" much sooner than humans. So it makes sense that the Equestrians would be on a different calendar of maturity than we are on.** **Please don't give me any negative over that; that's just my logic for explanation.**

 **Big thanks to _Admirer Boy_ , _Darkstalker728_ , and _Impressionsguy_ for helping out with this chapter! I'll cya in the next one!**


	10. Taking Back Canterlot and Ending The War

**Yay! Another chapter in sight, ladies and gents! The final showdown has commenced.**

 **Just a warning; due to how large the heroes' army is and how many characters are present, it may seem like I'm suddenly bringing up characters out of nowhere with no introduction from time to time. For those instances, just assume that they're already there and are only at that point showing up to help.**

 **And because I'm cheeky and also just LOVE this pairing, a quick scene between Aqua Blaze and Sunshine will occur before we get down to business.**

 **Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

The lowest chambers within Pinkie Pie's hive tended to be avoided by all residents save for three reasons: to pay respects to the dead, to preserve bodies, and to bring the bodies out for burial. And currently, there was a single pony down in those chambers who was paying his own respects.

Aqua Blaze.

He couldn't help but notice how peaceful and happy his mother looked even in death, for that was whom he had come to see. The body of Bubble Heart had been preserved in a special cocoon by the Changelings of the hive with the intention of saving it for burial in her own universe. Her body wasn't the only one preserved in there, as several other "shelves" resided in the chambers, each filled with the preserved forms of others as well. It had taken Aqua some time before he had found Bubble's shelf, and it was just at his level so he could look down at her without standing on his hind legs or straining in any other manner.

"Mom," Aqua said softly to his mother. "Dad misses you so much..." He sobbed. "Sunny misses you... Bold misses you too... and I miss you, so much... Why don't you say something...?" Aqua slightly raised his voice. "It's morning you know..." he said, as a smile appeared on his face and tears started to flow. "I was here all night... and I don't wanna go to school... wouldn't you yell at me...?" He began to breath a little heavily, unable to hold his sobs.

"I miss you too much already..." He whispered, and soon he was sobbing in silence. In his grief, he didn't hear the sounds of approaching hoofsteps until they had entered the room as well. But they weren't the steps of an adult; it belonged to one almost as old as he was.

"Aqua?" Sunshine's voice spoke from behind. Aqua looked towards her as soon as he heard her voice.

"Sunshine..." His eyes were filled with tears, and there were trails of tears on his cheek as well, indicating that he had been sobbing for a very long time. Sunshine didn't need much else to tell her why he was here nor what he had been doing. She gave him a small, sad smile.

"I... didn't see you outside... with the others... so, I followed your scent... down here..." she explained.

"I... I was feeling lonely... so I came... came to see mommy here..." Aqua replied, looking towards the preserved form of his mother. Sunshine nodded, then sat down beside him as she too looked to Bubble's form.

"She looks... happy," Sunshine noted, a bit in wonder. Never had she seen anyone seem happy while dead other than her mother; it puzzled her a bit.

"She does look happy..." Aqua passed her a nod with a tearful smile. Sunshine smiled back and then one of her hooves gently brushed away a tear that was falling down his cheek.

"I... never got to see your mom much... what was she like?" she asked.

"She was the best mom in the whole wide world," Aqua began. "She loved me so much. Sometimes when I got scared, she'd sleep besides me to comfort me. She sometimes yelled a little at me for being cranky, but I knew that she didn't mean to..." Aqua looked down as grief started to take over him once again. "I knew she just wanted me to be a better pony..." Aqua sobbed. "She was there whenever I needed her... and now she has... just slept... in com- comfort and pe- peace herself..."

Sunshine couldn't compose herself for long either and wrapped her hooves around him as her own tears started to fall.

"She sounds like the kind of mom anypony should deserve," she told him, giving him a small nuzzling too to try and comfort him. Aqua didn't said anything at all, but only nuzzled her back and returned the hug as he kept sobbing for a few more moments.

"Uh, excuse me you two," an adult male voice spoke up and they turned to see a Changeling guard looking at them apologetically. "I don't mean to intrude, but I have to close this place up, and I don't want you to be on this side of the door when I do."

Aqua heard what the male changeling said, and looked towards his mother's form once more as tears began to flow from his eyes once again.

"O-okay..." he managed to say.

"Come on," Sunshine said to him. "I know a spot where we can go and talk."

Aqua nodded as he couldn't help but look into the direction of his mother again. "Bye, bye Mommy..." That's all he said before he looked towards Sunshine and spoke. "Alright... we can... go now..."

Sunshine nodded, then led him through the halls and outside the chambers, then through the corridors of the hive and out into the open. Even then, she continued walking, going past the hive and towards the far outskirts of Ponyville.

"Where... are we heading for..." Aqua asked.

"You'll see," she reassured and continued walking. She led him on to a grove of trees outside the town and then pointed to some bushes nearby which were covering up a small cave. It looked dark inside and the other end could not be seen from their end.

"Through there," she said.

"Oh, okay..." Aqua replied.

"Come on," she said, walking into the cave with him. It soon became too dark for him to see anything save for Sunshine's glowing red eyes in the dark.

"Is it... alright to... go farther..." Aqua asked with a little concern in his tone.

"Trust me," she reassured. Her eyes suddenly stopped and he felt something grip his tail. He realized with a start that it was her own tail, small though it may have been.

"That's so you don't get lost," she explained.

"Alright..." Aqua gave a reassuring nod at this. They continued on in relative silence for a while, until finally they could see light up ahead of them. Soon, their heads popped out on the other side of the cave and they found themselves inside a small clearing. A small pond was sitting in the center, casting a still reflection of the sky above them. Sunshine looked to him and gave a smile.

"Welcome to my place of solitude, Aqua Blaze," she said. Aqua looked around in amazement, as a single worded compliment, "beautiful," was made by him.

Sunshine gave him another smile. "I found this place once when some nobles made fun of me while Mom and I were in Ponyville," she explained. "I was so sad that I ran away. I just... kept running until I found the cave and ran through it over here. Mom managed to find me later on, with some help." She sighed. "Besides Mom and Uncle William, you're the first pony I've ever shown this place to."

Aqua looked around as a sad smile appeared on his face, and he wiped tears from his eyes before hugging her in an instant.

"Thanks... Sunshine..." A few sobs escaped his breaths. "It's a lovely place..."

Sunshine hugged him back, humming softly and soothingly while she hugged him.

"I wish... I wish to never leave this place... or you..." Aqua sobbed while hugging her even tightly.

"I... don't want you to leave either," she answered, finding that she was crying a bit herself. Aqua kept sobbing for a while, as he was feeling her comforting hums well. In a little while, his grief had lessened for the moment.

"Thank you... Sunshine," Aqua said before he ceased sobbing.

"You're welcome," she answered, giving another, slightly louder, hum of happiness.

"You're... really my... best friend..." Aqua said in almost a whisper. "And I... don't wanna lose you too..."

"I don't want to lose you either," Sunshine replied softly. "And I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Aqua couldn't help but gave a smile at this, and passed a nod to her. "Neither... am I..." Aqua replied. "Cross my heart, hopes to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Sunshine giggled as she pulled away to look him in the eye.

"Guess we both learned that from our respective Aunt Pinkie Pie," she remarked.

Aqua smiled slightly and nodded as he wiped a couple of tears from his eyes. "Yes, she's really nice... I mean they both are..."

"Yeah, they are amazing," Sunshine agreed with a nod. Aqua smiled in reassurance, and for some moments there were no words exchanged as they kept looking towards each other's eyes. They both could feel the care they had in their hearts for each other. Sunshine soon broke the silence.

"So... what now?" she asked him. "What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, I guess... I was... a little lost..." Aqua said and smiled sheepishly, before he gave a deep red blush and he brought his face closer to hers as their muzzles touched each other. Sunshine closed her eyes in bliss as soon as the kiss began, her humming sounds automatically sounding off in a slow and steady melody in response. She could feel his love flowing through her like a steady stream as they kissed and it felt like a never-ending dream come true. She made a small moan of bliss as she deepened the kiss a little, her humming becoming a little faster in the process.

Aqua was slightly surprised at this new feeling before he welcomed this joyously as his heart was pounding in his chest as he heard and literally felt the sweet melody of her comforting hums. That feeling was beyond what he could explain in simple words. They pulled out of the kiss, but they were still within their small embrace. Sunshine gave a small giggle.

"Never fails to surprise you, does it?" she asked him gently.

"Mmhmm, never~" Aqua replied with a giggle of his own.

"So... you wanna... try again," she inquired, feeling a blush form on her face as she spoke.

"If... you want..." Aqua said as he felt his cheeks burning with glow. Sunshine smiled, then leaned in and gave him yet another kiss, her purr-like humming starting up again as if on instinct. Aqua returned the kiss, feeling her hums yet once again. This time, he tried to be a little bold himself and deepen the kiss slightly. Sunshine seemed a bit surprised at Aqua's bold behavior, but she quickly relaxed and allowed this action without any resistance. A joyous moan escaped Aqua's breath as he felt his heart pounding in his chest once again as his cheeks began to glow as red as cherry. The time seemed to be stopped for a while for them, as they continued to kiss for some time. Eventually, they pulled away again and Sunshine made a small happy sigh.

"I didn't know you could kiss like that," she said with a giggle. Aqua was blushing like never before while his breathing was a little sharper.

"Me... neither..."

Sunshine giggled a bit more as she noticed that she was still humming happily. "Well, you certainly know what makes a Changeling happy," she noted.

"I guess so..." Aqua gave a sheepish smile, then he seemed to remember something funny and a giggle escaped him.

"What?" Sunshine asked with a small tilt of her head.

"I just thought how daddy would say this..." Aqua smiled as he made a proud expression. "I'd be darned, if I don't..." he said and gave another light giggle.

"Oh..." Sunshine replied. "He sounds like a nice dad."

"He's really nice dad..." Aqua nodded, then after a few seconds he sighed as he realized something. "But since the time..."

"Hey..." Sunshine lifted his face up a bit with one of her hooves. "I know it's hard, but whatever happens I'll be there for you to the end. Especially when you're feeling down. Okay?"

Aqua smiled slightly and passed her a nod with some blush on his muzzle. "I know... you will."

Sunshine smiled again, then gave him an affectionate nuzzling, her humming sound becoming low and soft as she did. Aqua nuzzled her back as a slight giggle was made by him.

"You know," he whispered. "I'm feeling... much better now."

"Mmm! I'm glad to hear that," Sunshine answered, sounding as if she was half-asleep.

"You... okay?" Aqua asked sheepishly, as if he somewhat understood what was happening to her. "You look... a little sleepy..."

"Not sleepy..." she said, snuggling up closer to him. "Just glad to have you here with me... I want it to last... forever."

Aqua didn't show much hesitation, if anything he snuggled himself closer to her as well. "Well... I'm not going anywhere, either..."

This made Sunshine glow inside and she found herself bubbling up with something towards him that could only be summed up in one word. And it was then that she made the plunge.

"I love you... Aqua," she confessed. That came as a big surprise to Aqua. His eyes widened in surprise, and tears began to form in his eyes once again.

"Sunshine... I..." he passed her a smile as well as a sob escaped his breath. "I... love you too."

"You do?" she asked with joy, then frowned and added, "Then... why did you seem to be a bit sad?"

"It's just that..." Aqua wiped his tears as he recollected the memories of a certain event. "There... was a filly I thought I liked back in my Equestria..." Aqua said as his eyes changed their color. "My dad told me that I should ask her to be my friend... you know what she said..."

"What happened?" Sunshine asked, her curiosity getting the better of her and her humming stopping for the moment.

"She said, 'What filly would be crazy to befriend you? Half-breed!' Then every other foal there started to laugh at me... and then..." Aqua was unable to bring himself to finish.

Sunshine was genuinely shocked. Aqua was one of the nicest ponies she knew, and to think that somepony else had treated him so horribly... all because of what he was. It was not fair to him at all.

"Oh, Aqua..." she managed. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine..." Aqua said as his eyes returned to normal. He blinked for a moment before he continued. "Now, I'm glad that bratty foal of a noble didn't befriend me..." Aqua passed her a reassuring smile. "...otherwise, I'd never get to be the special friend of the most special filly in this whole wide world."

Sunshine felt tears welling up in her eyes, but they were happy tears that she felt. She didn't know what to say, so she chose to tell him through another kiss, humming with joy the whole time. Aqua returned the kiss, and let himself feel as comfortable and safe as he could in the embrace of the Changeling filly who held his heart. Sunshine moaned in bliss as she kissed him, feeling her heart overflowing with the love he shared with her in the process.

 _If this is a dream, it'd be the best one I've ever had,_ she thought to herself. _Oh, please don't let it end! I want it to last forever..._

 _I wasn't there to save my mommy,_ Aqua thought as he mentally took a sigh, _but I promise I won't let anything harm you... ever!_

Finally, they pulled out of the kiss again and gazed into each other's eyes for a long time, the heat of the moment having died down somewhat but it was still there.

"So," Aqua blushed as he gave a shy giggle. Sunshine blushed as well, then one of her eyes looked over to the nearby pond and she seemed to get an idea.

"Can you swim?" she asked him with curiosity.

"I'm... taking some lessons, back in my Equestria," Aqua replied.

"Well... you wanna join me?" she inquired, her eyes having a hopeful gleam in them.

"Of course," Aqua gave a nod. Sunshine smiled, then stepped out of the embrace and rushed towards the edge.

"Cannonball!" she cheered as she jumped into the air and then plummeted down into the water, making a reasonably large splash for her size. She then surfaced and gave Aqua an encouraging smile.

"Come on! The water's great!" she called.

"Coming!" Aqua cheered happily as he started to gallop towards the the pond, "Here I come!" He jumped into the air and then with a splash he plummeted down the water. Then in a moment he surfaced beside Sunshine.

"Whoa!" Aqua exclaimed as he came out of the water. Sunshine laughed, then gave him a smirk.

"Bet ya can't catch me," she teased, splashing him before starting to swim away with a laugh. Aqua shook his head as he began to swim after the Changeling, filly giggling happily. "Just you wait!"

* * *

The sky was a bit overcast, the sun just barely shining behind a layer of clouds that had been conjured up that morning. Over Canterlot, the ships of The Nameless One could be seen in the atmosphere above the planet of Equis. In Canterlot itself, or what was left, there was the obvious sight of the enemy's technology at work; smog in the sky, drills revving up, and various other things could be heard from a distance. But that was soon interrupted by the sound of thousands upon thousands of hooves trotting towards the ruins of the city that had been fortified in case of a siege like this.

Leading the army, along with the heroes themselves, was a blue-green earth pony with red armor on, looking ahead at the enemy with a look of determination. He was a veteran of TD's elite squad he had personally trained in Equestria and one of it's commanders: Fragment Soul, a pony who could clone himself many times over.

Beside him was another veteran, but from a different army that had been defeated long before Fragment Soul: Tempest Shadow, or Fizzlepop Berrytwist, a former general in the armies of The Storm King; now a loyal follower of the Equestrians. Both veterans stared ahead at the enemy fortifications as the others caught up to them.

"They certainly don't want us to enter," Tempest noted with a serious tone.

"Why be so desperate to hold those ruins other than to protect factories that he can easily replace?" Fragment asked aloud.

"Because he knows that Canterlot is a city we'll be trying to retake," Tempus said as he trotted up beside them, his dark personality beside him as they both studied the city. "And he'll throw everything he's got at us to keep us from doing just that."

Evan was also there, and for some reason not speaking to anyone as he put out his book from his cloak. There was an emblem seemingly in shape of a galaxy on the black cover of the book.

"Just in case," he muttered silently to himself. "If it comes to that..." Evan said as he looked above towards a winged human. Joy was flying above them, clenching his weapon in his hand with no expressions on his face but sadness, and rage.

Virin was currently flying through the skies of Equis, with nothing but sadness and rage in his eyes as he looked towards the city of Canterlot. He'll get Nameless for killing the very one he calls his daughter. Suddenly, through his Ki, he stopped midair as he sensed something far more powerful from the vast ocean. _Who...?_ He didn't complete his question as he noticed his allies and the army down below. He flew down as he started to speak.

"I've got dreadful news, guys," he told them sadly.

"What is it now?" Rainbow Dash called out impatiently, feeling a bit moody at the moment.

Silent for a moment, Virin spoke softly, "We lost Scootaloo..."

Rainbow Dash particularly stopped dead in midair, almost forgetting to fly as she took it in.

"No... tell me you're lying!" she demanded.

"Dash, do you really think he'd lie about something like that," TD remarked, coming over to the front as well. He was taking the news of her death surprisingly well... or so it seemed. Anyone who knew him on a personal level could tell that he was hurting inside. Michael swooped down, his different colored eyes glowing slightly.

"We shall honor Scootaloo by driving our foes into the ground." The Pyrunian growled, his sword in one hand and his axe in the other. Joy looked towards where he saw Virin and flew towards them, for some reason struggling to keep himself together due to his sadness. When he reached them, he heard what Michel had just said and he realized that Scootaloo was also no more. It made him even more furious, and he looked towards Virin with an expression of sympathy without saying a word. Virin was in tears, struggling to maintain himself as he spoke once more.

"If...If...only I was strong enough..." he sobbed, surprising his allies at this. "...Then, I could've saved her from death. If only..." He stopped as his blue eyes almost turned blood-red once more, but managed to get himself under control. Virin then felt a hand on his shoulder in a moment, realizing that this was Joy who passed him a nod in sympathy.

"We will mourn our dead later, comrades," Bill stated, coming to the front of the group. "In the meantime, we need to be sure that we're all ready for action."

"Pyrunian Armada is entering the air space above Canterlot as I speak." A voice said through the coms, belonging to the Pyrunian Dark Enchanter, who had taken control of the Pyrunian Armada of ships that had arrived at reinforcements. "I can send down two striker units to help out with the fight if you'd like."

"Keep them on standby. I may have a use for them," Bill suggested, then called out, "Cindy, how's the new body?"

The now-android AI in question flew up into the sky with the help of some thrusters and spoke.

"Well, it's different from being inside a weaponized suit of armor, but I can make it work," she remarked.

"Excellent. Red," Bill spoke into his coms. "How are you and the girls doing?"

"Ready and waiting. Just give us the word, and that town's gonna be hit with too many waves of sound to recover!" Red answered.

"Yeah! Sirens for the win!" Serena called on the other end. Wiping his tears, Virin looked at Canterlot with cold-dead eyes as he growled.

"I'm ready," he said.

"Well then, I guess I should get into the sky," Thunderstrike stated as his horn began to crackle with electricity, and the alicorn took off, soaring up to join Michael, Virin, and Joy in the air. Joy looked towards his weapon and clenched it with such force that his fist started to go red, and he looked towards Canterlot, as only one sound was ringing in his mind; the sound of his beloved's giggles. Others may be fighting to protect Equestria. but he was fight to avenge his sweetheart.

"Okay boys, this is the final stretch!" Diego answered, activating his gauntlets as his friends also prepped their weapons. Ruby looked to the gauntlets on her own arms, but didn't activate them just yet. She was saving them in case of an emergency.

"On my signal," TD commanded. "Wait for it... Wait for iiiit..."

The entire front of the enemy's fortifications suddenly exploded and blasted apart, opening a breach in their defenses.

"Now!" TD shouted.

"Let's do this!" Chris yelled as he shot into the air, flying towards Canterlot as he began opening fire, the Pyrunian technology incorporated into the suit he was wearing causing his shots to do more damage then normal.

"FOR EQUESTRIA!" Tempus shouted, before he took off, running alongside his dark personality. There was a whoosh of air, before Sunrise shot through the air, a determined look on the Pegasus's face as he twirled his spear in his metal right hoof. Virin let out a roar of anger, suddenly hearing an loud, but powerful roar from the ocean as well. He was confused, but didn't question it. He flew towards Canterlot as he prepared his energy balls for full force.

Joy looked there as his eyes began to glow red with anger, and flew towards the breach as fast as he could, as a smirk began to appear on his face. "I'm coming to kill you Nameless One!"

Fragment and Tempest charged on ahead of the entire army, the earth pony cloning himself into a smaller army of ponies that absorbed the majority of enemy shots fired at them, allowing plenty of time for their forces to get through. Meanwhile, Tempest charged up her unstable horn and fired a large explosive beam into the center of the enemy army before them, destroying much of the enemies present in one go. More enemies were dropping in from the ships in the sky above, but not as much as last time; clearly the Pyrunian Armada was taking its toll on enemy reinforcements. From somewhere in the distance, they could hear the sounds of the Sirens singing their song, the sound waves they gave off taking a toll on human enemies; they now either started to fight each other in a free-for-all or even openly aided the Equestrians. As beneficial as this was, there seemed to be more robots than humans, but it was still a decisive blow. Shortly after, Red rushed into the battle from a random alleyway nearby, singing Figaro in the style of Buck from Ice Age as he danced his way through enemy waves, creating destruction wherever he went.

In the midst of all the chaos, no one noticed TD slip away on his own.

Sunrise smashed his right hoof into a robot, grunting in satisfaction as he smashed a large hole into it, before spinning on the spot and stabbing another robot through the back with his spear. The Pegasus whirled through enemy lines, using his hoof, spear, and wing as he became a whirlwind of destruction.

"Thunderstrike, now!" Tempus yelled, and the air suddenly crackled with ozone as a massive thunderstorm appeared overhead, bolts of electricity arcing through the sky to slam into robots left and right, frying them completely. From his area, Virin was firing energy balls at the enemies with full force, not stopping as he continued firing his energy balls at the enemies. Then, out of anger, he fired an different colored Kamehameha, a purple colored one, at the enemies, killing most human enemies. Virin continued to fire from his position, until he stopped as he heard the powerful roar again from the ocean.

"Why do I always hear it?!" he shouted aloud from his mind.

Joy charged his weapon and threw it in a spinning motion at the enemies, which literally went slicing through them while he used his Shouts and aura beams to fight with the enemies in range. Just like a boomerang, Blazing Edge came back to him as soon as he raised his hand, only to be thrown back towards the enemies once again. He was looking much more agile and swift than usual as he was fighting and killing the human and robots in a fit of fury.

Evan just found a good spot to surprise the enemy, as he swiftly passed through troops with a speed one could say was as fast as lightening, and somehow killing them off in the process.

There was a shout of fury, and Nightmare moon materialized in the middle of a knot of robots, two twin scythes spinning by her sides and held in her magic, she sliced through the robots, carving a path through their ranks. Atop her head was the crown Tempus's Luna had once worn, and it appeared the new Lunar Princess of Tempus's world was not afraid to get into the middle of the action.

After a moment, Red suddenly called out, "Okay, not counting wounded and dead, we're missing someone." He then gave a look to Twilight nearby. "Where's the William?"

Twilight's eyes lit up in alarm as she realized the truth of that sentence. She looked about frantically for him, calling to her friends as she foound them among the chaos.

"Where's William? Has anypony seen William?" she asked over and over.

 **"I can try and find him,"** Tempus's dark personality said as he came up beside her. **"And I can take Tempus with me as well if you'd like."**

Suddenly, out in the ocean, as the fighting was going on, a powerful roar was heard by everyone. Michael's head whipped around, and his eyes narrowed. The Pyrunian suddenly went into a dive, slinging his axe across his back as he raised the Sword of Death above his head, and he closed his eyes, opening them again to reveal reptilian slits.

 _My helmet may have been destroyed long ago, but I can still change form,_ he thought to himself as he dove through the air, his form shifting until he was a massive black dragon, his eyes still different colors as he flared his now-huge wings and brought himself to a stop, roaring a challenge at the enemy forces as he held the Sword of Death, which had grown to accommodate his bigger size, in his talon.

Loud stomping was heard on the ground, slowly going towards Canterlot. The ear-shattering steps was strong to shake the earth. Responsible for these steps, was a creature. This one creature was a five hundred foot tall dragon. It had red skin, reddish orange eyes, strange dorsal fins on its back, as well as a long and powerful tail. Its face looked like it had a threatening appearance.

"Uh... please tell me he's on our side," Red pleaded. As he said so, some of The Nameless One's soldiers started firing at the beast. The dragon didn't look like he had been scratched at all by the fire.

"Well, he's definitely not on their side," Bill remarked.

Suddenly, there was the sound of something getting slapped across a large distance and TD himself went sprawling in the center of his friends, looking badly hurt. And stepping out of the rubble of a building was the one who had done the deed, his four arms spinning his swords around with ease. Virin looked shocked to see TD in bad shape, growling angrily at the one responsible for the one hurting his friend.

The dragon's fins, on one side, was beginning to charge up with electricity. Then out of the middle of the chaos, the dragon opened its mouth as it looked at one of the enemy ships, blasting its breath attack at five of them, taking out with relative ease. The Nameless One looked back at the dragon and growled.

"Someone deal with that thing!" he shouted, then turned his attention back to TD. "This is where I put the final nail in the coffin!"

He leaped at TD, only to be blasted out of the air midway by a purple magic blast. Twilight landed beside TD as The Nameless One stood again.

"LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!" she shouted in a Royal Canterlot voice, making TD smile a bit.

"Ah... you copied her," he managed, before groaning due to the pain. The dragon looked at the tiny enemies, not bothering with them as they attacked him. Then, charging its fins up again, fired its breath attack at five more enemy ships, taking them out once more.

As soon as Joy noticed Nameless, his eyes began to burn with a blood red aura once again, and his whole body was now glowing with a dark red color. He landed beside the others in front of the Nameless One, beside the wounded TD, and gave the one who killed his beloved a really ferocious look.

"I'll put a nail in your coffin," Michael growled as he landed, reverting to his Pyrunian form. "I told you, the next time we met I'd fight you, so fight me."

The Pyrunian raised his weapons, the runes on the blade of his axe glowing icy blue. Virin landed in front of Nameless as well, giving him a ferocious and enraged look.

"For killing my...daughter in this world," he began. "You'll be in for justice!" He roared, as did the dragon, before the human went Super Saiyan Blue. The Nameless One smirked as a fiery figure suddenly dropped beside him, revealing Philip in all his glory.

"Philip," he ordered, "Take your revenge."

He then summoned his swords and swiftly rushed over to the Pyrunian and Saiyan, combating them at the same time as Philip raised a hand and easily tossed Twilight to the side, despite her best efforts, and stood over the form of TD. But he didn't attack right away. Instead, he just stood there, as if not believing the opportunity he had before him, or as if unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, Virin dodged the swords of Nameless in the nick of time. He then went into a fit of rage as he turned into his Black form all of a sudden. Michael growled as he dodged one of Nameless's attacks, before twirling his axe single-handedly as ice started to circulate in accordance to the path of the weapons blade by his side.

"How about," He growled. "You chill out!"

And with that, he swung his axe forwards, sending a blast of ice at the robot, following up with an overhand strike from the Sword of Death.

Nameless deflected the ice off his swords and glanced over at Philip, noticing him not attacking.

"What are you waiting for? KILL HIM!" he ordered. Philip was silent for a long time, then finally he looked away and towards the Nameless One.

"No," he said, dropping his blade. Nameless was furious and shocked to see this.

"So you'd betray me too?!" he remarked. "Just like Tempest Shadow! You're both traitors and fools!"

At this, a lot of the heroes looked to Tempest in surprise, while the unicorn in question simply sighed and revealed a symbol on her armor that all of Nameless's men had on them somewhere: four swords crossed over each other with a burning planet in the center.

"Tempest..." Joy muttered to himself before realizing what he was implying. "I see..."

Virin blinked, before realizing what he had just heard from Nameless.

"Tempest...a traitor...?" he asked to himself.

 _Maybe it's like my Tempest, except, Nameless isn't in my Equestria. So, how can she be a traitor?_

He looked at Nameless as he glared daggers at the robot.

"Hey!" Virin shouted. "What do you mean by 'traitor'?"

"Tempest, what is he talking about?" Twilight demanded. Tempest gave a sigh.

"Storm King and his army were simply a division of The Nameless One's army he had established here in Equestria," she explained. "I personally didn't realize this until the day when we attacked Canterlot. And when that did occur... I at first felt that I was too deep in it to escape. But then you changed that for me." She looked up at her horn momentarily. "When I helped you kill Storm King... it officially branded me as a traitor to The Nameless One's army."

"A shame, really," Nameless scoffed. "You held such potential Tempest. You could have been my equal in power, and had your horn restored. But instead... you threw it all away."

Phantom looked at Tempest.

 _She will be a good captain someday,_ he thought. Then he looked to the others, then back to The Nameless One. Joy's fury grew even while he stood there still there without saying a word, and soon his weapon vanished from his hands, as he kept breathing heavily while giving Nameless a furious look. Meanwhile he heard dark words echoing in his mind.

 _"Look at this monster, he killed Bubble Heart! How can you still let him stand in front of you like this. You've to kill him. Kill him. KILL HIM!"_

Joy grunted loudly once again. The dragon, on the other hand, was just standing there like it was frozen. In reality, it was in a recharging state after releasing some of its attacks at the ships.

Meanwhile, Virin was still pondering over what Tempest had explained.

"So, what you mean to say," he started as he looked at Tempest. "You once served the Storm King, who was under the watch of Nameless, being changed to good after Twilight managed to redeem you, then you began to be on the good side while he was hidden from all of that before now?"

Tempest nodded. "I thought that maybe it would all blow over or perhaps it would never be brought up again, given that he was... well, pretty far."

"Oh, but I always keep tabs on my soldiers," Nameless chuckled. "No matter how far away. Even if they become 'friends' with their enemies."

Joy's wings by now had disappeared as well, as they burnt to nothing in the red flames of his aura. He gritted his teeth as he glowed even more with a dark bloody red aura. The rage he was bearing within him could no longer be held in control.

"Hey!" He called him out loudly. "Eyes on me you (beep)!"

Nameless turned his attention to Joy, and that's when Philip made his move. With a flick of his hand, a section of a nearby building flew towards the Robot Master striking him in the back of the head. Philip then rushed in towards Nameless, but the robot master had recovered quickly. He swung his swords around and Philip fell to the ground, cleaved in half, but still alive. The swords didn't seem to be able to kill him; more like make his lack of the now-cleaved parts become a hindrance. He then looked to TD, who was trying to recover still.

"I will finish with you later," he said, then focused back on Joy, spinning his blades rapidly and giving a smirk. Joy advanced towards Nameless One slowly as he grunted with anger still burning with blood red aura, before he clenched his fist and began to spoke.

"You killed my sweetheart..." Joy said as tears began to form in his eyes. "She is no more because of you!" Joy raised his fists a little in front of him. "You monster!"

The tears beneath his eyes began to turn their color to red, making them seem like blood. "I'll kill you!" Joy grunted painfully as his eyes went completely burning in the flames of his aura. "I'll kill you with my bear hands. WITH MY BARE HANDS I TELL YOU!" Joy then quickly rushed towards the Nameless One with the intention to punch the robot master to pulp. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

"Joy, DON'T!" TD called, but he was too late. Nameless, seeing the reckless charge, swiftly dodged to the side and then stabbed his blade through the other human's chest, impaling him through. Everyone looked on in pure shock as the blade went through Joy and out the other side, most likely having pierced through his heart.

"If you miss your sweetheart so much," he scoffed. "Why don't you join her?" He pulled the blade out of Joy and gave an evil chuckle, then looked to the dragon from earlier. "And since my own men seem to be incompetent, I shall simply bring in my own dragon."

He lifted one of his hands to his mouth and gave a loud whistle. Just then, loud hurricane wings could be heard from above in the sky. Flying down, was a new dragon. But this one wasn't like the red dragon. This was a huge, golden dragon with three heads and two tails, with massive wings to boot.

The newcomer landed on the ground, giving off an evil roar as it glared at the recovered red drake.

* * *

The dragon slowly stirred from its recovered state, before growling as it saw its archenemy, King Ghidorah, in its evil glory. Ghidorah gave off an evil laugh-like roar as it began to fire three yellow colored beams at the dragon, hitting him directly in the body.

Groaning in small pain, the red drake stomped the ground, causing it to shake slightly from the force of the step. The dragon then opened its mouth as its fins started to charge up with electricity, aiming at Ghidorah as the evil golden dragon looked unconcerned about the attack from its enemy.

A powerful blue beam came from the red dragon's mouth, hitting Ghidorah directly in the belly as Ghidorah gave off an roar of anger as it fired three beams of yellow at the dragon, hitting it all over as well.

The dragon charged up with electricity in its fins again, as it slowly turned around as an fast, electronic slice came from the long tail as the slice couldn't manage to hit Ghidorah, as the evil dragon flew up just in the nick of time to avoid getting hit.

Ghidorah fired three beams of yellow again at the red dragon, hitting him in the body once more. The red dragon grunted as it opened its mouth as blue electricity charged up from the fins, as an blue beam came shooting towards Ghidorah once more, hitting the evil dragon in the wings, which was covering the body of the golden dragon.

The red dragon's fins charged up once more, as an blue beam shot out of his mouth once more at Ghidorah, who looked unconcerned at it as the beam hit the golden dragon, but didn't seem to faze it one bit.

Ghidorah roared loudly, causing everyone on the ground to cover their ears from the loud roar. Ghidorah then fired three beams of yellow at the red dragon, hitting him directly as the golden dragon began to flap its massive wings to create a gigantic hurricane. The hurricane didn't faze the red dragon, as it just stood there like nothing happened.

Ghidorah growled angrily and in a hateful way at the other dragon. The golden dragon then fired three beams of yellow at the red drake, hitting him but didn't faze him at all with the beams. Ghidroah then began to roar out loudly once more, the roar echoing through all parts of the lands, considering how big the golden dragon is.

The red dragon's fins charged up once more, firing another powerful blue beam at Ghidorah, hitting it right in the belly before unleashing another blue slice from the tail, hitting the golden dragon once more as the red dragon roared loudly.

Ghidorah growled and snarled with its three heads, firing three beams of yellow at the other dragon, though it was unfazed by them once the beams hit him. The golden dragon fired another set of beams at the red dragon, though almost no damage was done to the smaller dragon.

The larger golden dragon fired another set of beams once more, but like before, none of them seemed to affect the damage on the red dragon.

The red dragon roared loudly as it began to open its mouth, with the fins charging up with blue electricity once more, as an powerful blue beam shot its way towards Ghidorah, hitting the giant monster directly in the body as the golden dragon grunted in pain from the hit.

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, the red dragon's blue electricity charged up once more before turning completely red as did the dragon's reddish orange eyes completely. The new attack was now fully charged, before being unleashed as the red beam shot towards the golden dragon, hitting the middle head as the middle head exploded off of Ghidorah's body, causing it to fall down to the ground as the red dragon roared once more.

After unleashing another powerful red beam, and hitting its archenemy, the red dragon looked at Ghidorah with immense hatred as the golden dragon cowardly turned around to leave the battlefield to its master.

The red dragon roared in victory, as it was the victor of this relatively short battle with Ghidroah, then turned to look to his friends below.

* * *

Joy was presumably on his last breath as some last thoughts rushed through his mind.

 _Bubble... My Bubble... I am coming to join you... I will rather die instead of living without you... I am coming..._

Then suddenly, a bright red light shone in front of his closed eyes as he heard a voice spoke to him.

 _Wake up Zane... You can't give up like this... You can't die like this... You are the last child of the Phoenix Mages of the Beast Clan... And you're the strongest of all of them... You're stronger than this monster... Would you rather accept death than to avenge your beloved... Death is only a mere escape... only cowards accept to die like this..._

 _...I'm not a coward..._

 _So prove it... Let your fury loose and... set me free..._

 _... I can't die... I'll avenge my beloved..._

Then suddenly, Joy eyes shot open as he felt a surge of incredible power and strength going through his body, and his wound began to heal while extracting the poison from his blood veins. Nameless looked to Joy with utter surprise.

"That's... impossible!" he shouted, for once looking genuinely surprised. "That blade should have ended you permanently, regardless of resurrection magic!"

"Clearly... you know nothing... about how a Phoenix works," TD managed, actually starting to stand a bit. Nameless growled.

"I see I have underestimated your friend for far too long. Sadly, he cannot fight this," he remarked, then called on his coms, "Now is the time. Take your Vengeance upon them."

As soon as he had finished saying that, TD and Tempus got a horrified expression.

"Oh darn," TD muttered.

"It's him. He's here..." Tempus added. As soon as he said this, a large roar was heard, and suddenly dark smoke appeared from a certain direction as a humanoid yet horrifying creature appeared there. While he was advancing towards them, they noticed that as he passed he turned a few trees into dust, and dust beneath his feet changed it's color after he left his every step.

"Guardian of Chaos..." He hissed. "It's so nice... to see... you..."

And then a dark chuckle along with a growl was heard much to their horrors.

"You're... The Beast of Time?" TD asked, then he laughed. "Makeup! Someone give him a makeover please!"

"William, now is not the time," Twilight chided.

"I agree," Nameless growled, then he looked back to Joy. "I'll make sure this time to kill you properly."

He rushed at Joy while he was still caught off guard a bit, only to be intercepted by a red blur that knocked him back, revealing itself to be Bill Prower.

"Get your head in the game, Joy!" he said. "I'll take this guy on for now."

Joy stood up to his feet again and gave the Nameless One a very amused look as he began to chuckle as well. Soon his voice changed to a set of multiple intimidating voices as he ceased to chuckle and wing-like patterns of flames began to appear around his arms, his body began to get covered in feather like patterns of flames, and his eyes morphed into burning spots of red flames with bloody red stains beneath those spots. His face morphed into a... phoenix-like face, now his arms were completely turned into bird wings, his feet morphed into talons, and he floated into the air while his size began to increase.

The figure floating before them looked nothing like the human boy; instead he was looking like a giant phoenix burning in his own flames, with the flames flaring with each flap of his wings, and he looked down to the others while shouting in a set of loud and intimidating voices.

"I. AM. FREE!" The blood red phoenix-like form of Joy shouted. The Nameless One looked to Joy, then growled again as his blades started spinning.

"I don't care how long it takes, I will kill you all!" he shouted. By now, TD had recovered enough to spout out orders.

"Tempus, you and me against the Beast! Get Evan to help too, if he can! Dragon dude... I don't know if you can understand me or not, but take out the other dragon! The rest of you, deal with Nameless and his goons! Move it!"

The two of them rushed over towards the Beast of Time, taking their battle some ways away from the others as they fought.

* * *

Tempus narrowed his eyes as he slowly walked towards the Beast of Time, and his dark side appeared beside him, his dark side narrowing his glowing red eyes as they both bared their teeth in a silent snarl. TD floated beside the Prince of Time, glaring daggers at the Beast of Time.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he told him. "Just because some Guardians from the past locked you up doesn't mean that all of them deserve the fate you wish to bring upon them. You can turn over a new leaf... or, you can suffer a butt whipping. Your choice."

Beast gave a horrendous chuckle at this. "So... there's a new Guardian, eh...?" Beast gave an amused look. "I don't think... we were introduced in the past... alicorn Prince of Time..."

"Introductions aren't necessary, Beast of Time." Tempus growled, as his green eyes lit up pure silver and Tempus's dark side disappeared into him. "But you threaten my friends, and I won't allow that." As he spoke, several swords appeared around him, all aiming at the Beast of Time.

"So... too eager to die..." Beast said as he clenched his scaly claws. "I... don't like making... people wait either..."

"Then spare us the monologue and make your move," TD snarled. "I've run away from problems like you all my life, and I'm tired of it. I think it's time that I faced those problems today." Then Tempus felt as if something inside TD had been burst apart as he continued. "And this time... I'm not holding back."

Tempus growled agreement, before even more swords appeared around him, joined by dozens of spears as the alicorn used his Chaos magic to make a storm of sharp weapons behind him, ready to use. Beast gave a growl at this and with incredible speed he charged towards Tempus with his claws exposed for a fatal attack. It was almost like he just paused time while he was charging towards the alicorn.

TD growled and shouted, "Fiik Lo Sah!" A ghostly clone of himself appeared in front of the Beast, taking the brunt of the blow for Tempus before disintegrating into nothing. There was a sudden flicker of movement around Tempus, and Tempus charged towards the Beast, a large blast of power erupting from his horn and hurtling towards the Beast as he screamed in defiance. As soon as the blast came into contact with the Beast, he gave a loud shriek before he seemingly disintegrated into nothing, much to both of their (or at least TD's) surprise.

"Okay... that was too easy," TD remarked. "Please tell me that it's not, because it's making me worried."

Tempus however, stayed on edge, his eyes darting around as the air around him crackled with power, which swirled around him.

"Stay alert." He hissed. "I don't trust this."

Then suddenly, from somewhere away from the sight of both of them, something as swiftly as lightning or even faster came towards the alicorn Prince as before; the only thing he could notice was a reddish blur.

"Wuld Nah Kest!" TD shouted, suddenly moving at the same speed as he summoned a powerful shield while moving in front of the alicorn prince, barely blocking the attack in time. Tempus narrowed his eyes, before grinning as black electricity crackled around him.

"So, he wants to play with speed," He said, his grin changing into a smirk. "Let's see what he thinks about my speed."

The alicorn prince waited as the lightning around him continued to crackle, biding his time. Beast adjusted his balance in front of the Prince of Time, as he gave him a taunting look.

"I'm... waiting..."

"Then let me spare you the wait," TD suggested, summoning several meteors and firing them down upon the Beast at once. Beast just gave a smirk as he looked towards the meteors before stopping the time for the moment and just getting out of the range of the fire, and then gave both of them another taunting look.

"Still... waiting..."

"I'll end it for you then," Tempus said as he suddenly took off, becoming a brown blur as he left a trail of black lightning behind him, running faster than the eye could see as he began to circle the Beast, his speed picking up until a loud boom shook the air, indicating he had broken the sound barrier. Beast growled at him as he slowed down the time around him once more, as he looked towards him running around him. A smirk came upon his face as he smacked the alicorn with his claw, throwing him several feet away from him.

"You... can't... hurt me... by using tricks like these..." Beast said as he raised his claw while there was blood on his nails, and soon Tempus felt a sharp pain in his hind leg. Suddenly, TD appeared in front of Beast, and smashed a glowing fist into him, sending him flying several meters away and then growling.

"Tempus!" he said to his friend. "He exists in the past, present, and future like Mephiles does! The only way we can defeat him is to either defeat him in all three timelines or to be on the same plane of existence as he is!"

Tempus nodded, as a ripple of energy rolled down his leg, healing the damage the Beast had done, before the alicorn's eyes lit up pure silver, and with a flash of magic, six gemstones appeared around him, beginning to spin as a silver sphere of power formed around him.

"I think I can do the second one William," Tempus said, before he closed his eyes and focused, the Elements of Time still spinning around him. "Protect me; I don't know how long it will take me to cast the spell.

"Oh, now that's... interesting..." Beast said as he stood before them, as he chuckled "By the way... too late for you alicorn... even though you've healed your apparent wound... but your countdown has started..."

"Oh? Care to clarify?" TD asked, sounding interested for some reason.

"Your friend's... entropy is changing... on a super fast rate..." Beast said as he gave him an amused look. "The more... he use his magic... the faster it gets... that means... he's going to die anyways..."

TD looked surprised, then he laughed.

"For a beast that travels in time and knows a lot, you're an idiot!" TD laughed. "Thanks for telling me that! Now I know how to cure him!" He snapped his fingers and a clone of himself appeared nearby. "Give him a zap of the strong stuff." The clone nodded and then walked over to Tempus, zapping him with some kind of magic lightning that was green in color. TD then smirked and looked back at The Beast.

"Come at me, big guy," he taunted, stepping forward a bit as he did. Tempus smirked, before he opened his eyes, which were now glowing red as a dark mist came off him, resolving into Tempus's dark side as he flew down to the ground, taking a step towards the Beast as a wicked-looking scythe appeared in the air beside him, held in his magic as he grinned at the Beast with jagged teeth.

 **"You'll find,"** The dark alicorn said, just as crackles of Chaos magic started crackling through the sphere of magic Tempus was using, **"...that we have a few tricks up our sleeves."**

With a growl, Temus's dark side launched himself towards the Beast, his scythe swinging through the air and weaving a web of iron as he rained attacks down on the Beast. Beast tried to protect himself but still he had taken many attacks, before he finally fell to his knees, growling loudly as he was disappeared once again.

"Why do I feel that he's not dead yet?" TD asked aloud.

 **"Because the probability is he isn't,"** Tempus's dark side growled, just as Tempus let out a shout of accomplishment.

"When he next reappears, the spells ready!" the alicorn yelled. Dark Tempus growled as he backed towards Tempus, spinning his scythe as he glanced around. Then suddenly, a few portals appeared above and around them as many different kinds of quadruped and bipedal figures appeared. Their faces were hidden with a kind of mask, and had themselves covered with some kind of armor. The bipedal creatures were laced with swords, while the quadrupeds seemed to be alicorns.

Then all of them looked towards their targets as they began to charged upon them with their weapons and magic, ready to do a fatal hit.

 **"And of course he wanted to give us a challenge,"** Dark Tempus muttered, before grinning wickedly. **"But if he thinks this is a challenge, he's wrong!"**

"Let's see how long they entertain us, shall we?" TD scoffed in a mock Emperor Palpatine, then lifted his hands as tendrils of red lightning fired from his hands and into the entire group of enemies, hitting as many as six or seven targets at once. Dark Tempus shot through the group of enemies, dodging TD's lightning from time to time while he sliced through enemies, cackling all the while he did so.

Then suddenly, some of them were able to save themselves by creating a shield. Then much to their surprise, a few of them did something really familiar. Dark wings sprouted from their back as they hovered towards TD with some kind of weapon in their hands, which also seemed utterly familiar.

"Oh no..." TD groaned. "Those are corrupted versions of others he's turned into his slaves. Like Joy, or Celestia, or... me..." He growled and built up more magic. "Well... I'm not one to fall so easily. Bring it on!"

They didn't said anything but continued to fighting recklessly to him. Tempus's dark side growled, before he raised his scythe, the blade crackling with chaos magic.

 **"You say the word WIlliam,"** Tempus's dark side snarled. TD's form glowed and then his eyes turned to his draconic eyes as his personalities merged.

"Give them hell!"

TD let loose a howl of rage, and then snapped his fingers. A lot of the enemy suddenly disintegrated and then TD started firing an endless barrage of magical energy in every direction, making it impossible to get near to him. Then suddenly, Tempus heard a painful groan coming from a certain direction. The mask of an alicorn had been ripped apart as well as her armor, and a familiar dark blue coat and flowing mane was clear to be seen. Tempus's eyes widened, then narrowed as he focused the spell he had created into the Element of Time, before diving down and landing as the Elemements of Time shimmered out of view, and the alicorn's eyes narrowed with rage.

"I may be Prince of Time, yet Life and Death I also rule," He growled, as a pure black scythe appeared from nowhere, the blade burning with a white fire. "You dare use one I love against me, yet know that it will not work!" With a roar of outrage, the Guardian of Time raced forwards, his scythe already in motion, leaving a burning trail behind it as he swung it towards what appeared to be Luna, yet he knew through his powers was not her. As soon as the weapon touched "Luna," she disappeared, but there was still a pleading look in her eyes while she was disintegrated to nothing.

"Tempus?" was the last word he heard before the figure was gone. Tempus breathed heavily, his eyes dilated, before with a howl of fury he glanced around, his eyes flaring with rage and anger as he looked for a place to use it.

"Nice! Wonder if tha- oh, he did on me too," TD remarked, looking to some figures ahead, who had been revealed to be some of his past loves.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" a Lamia demanded angrily.

"You killed me and then corrupted our son!" another woman made of fire screeched.

"You never wanted us for our love, did you?!" a third voice called out.

"No, that's not true," TD argued, but his voice cracked with emotion. "I truly... loved each and every... one of you. And I'm sorry for what I did."

"Then prove it!" the flame woman shouted, grabbing him by the throat. TD struggled, then sighed as energy built up around him. Tears fell from his eyes as he spoke.

"I love you girls... Forgive me..." he whispered, then a huge surge of power exited him and hit all of the corrupted figures at once, killing them instantly and leaving nothing remaining. He dropped to the ground and sighed heavily.

"That... was a dirty move, Beast," he snarled, then yelled, "ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I AGREE!" Tempus yelled. "SHOW YOURSELF, OR YOU'RE A COWARD!"

Then suddenly, a large cackle was heard around them as in a burst of dark smoke the Beast appeared in front of them, still laughing at them, as if that was a joke to him. Tempus narrowed his eyes, before the Elements of Time appeared in front of him, and with a yell, he cast the spell he had created, his eyes narrowed as a massive amount of energy erupted through the air. Meanwhile, TD's form shifted so that it was now made half of darkness and half of light, his eyes glowing in his new form as he started to chant his own spell, throwing in all manners of words from different languages into it and even throwing in Dragon Shouts from time to time. The Beast still looked ready to take the hit, as he didn't move from his spot while giving them a seemingly amused look.

 _Why do I not like that look?_ TD thought to himself. _Oh, right! Because that's the look Ornos gave me before I sent him to the Void the first time. But... I'm the only one who remembers that because... time travel._

With a shout, Tempus flew towards the Beast, the Elements of Time beginning to spin around him as he charged up a massive amount of power. As soon as it reached the amount he wanted, the Alicorn fired his attack at their enemy, the sheer amount of power contained in it causing the air around it to crackle as it flew through it. TD fired his own spell at the same time as well, but he looked unsure as to whether it would work or not. Beast brought his claws in front of him as for a slight moment, time was paused right before the attack hit him, and they heard his growls and screams as he was disintegrated in front of their eyes. When everything got cleared, he was nowhere to be seen once more.

"And... he's gonna show up again at one point, isn't he?" TD asked no one in particular. With a growl, Tempus looked around, his eyes still glowing silver as his dark personality came up behind him, his scythe raised.

 **"What do you think TD?"** Tempus's dark side asked, before glancing at Tempus. **"You may have to go all out on him."**

Tempus grunted in reply, his eyes still darting around.

"I know... but that's not what concerns me," TD stated. "I'm thinking on banishing him and I've got the most powerful one I have to offer... but I'd need him to be standing still long enough for it to work."

"Done... already?"

A loud voice was heard from all around them, as once again several portals opened up in the sky, and from each of them there was a Beast of Time coming out. All of them surrounded them from all sides as they opened their mouths, and their eyes began to give a sickly brownish red glow. TD was startled, and started to have an internal panic.

 _I have to do it!_ he shouted at himself mentally. _But... what if I cause too much harm?_

The mouths came closer, then TD snapped.

 _To hell with the consequences._

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, as a surge of energy released from him, knocking back each Beast in a heartbeat. "It's time I ended this! Let's even the playing fields..."

He snapped his fingers, and the entire place around them suddenly became black and white, in a likeness that was only seen once before with a different villain.

"Welcome to the Dimension of Nonexistence!" TD announced. "So glad you could join us..."

"You think... you can stop me... like this?" Beast asked with a chuckle "So glad... you think that way..."

"TD, should I go all out?" Tempus asked, his eyes still glowing silver.

"Careful Temp; your Time powers are no use here," TD said with a chuckle. "Here, time does not exist, meaning is forever gone, and existence itself is but a fairy tale." He stared at Beast as he finished. "You are in my realm now, and I. AM. THE KING!"

TD's form changed as he spoke, revealing his Guardian form: half-dark, half-light, with his dragon eyes shining in both halves. He stared at the Beast and grinned.

"Deja vu?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'll finish you... Guardian of Chaos!" Beasts voice echoed as they all began to charged towards him. "NO MORE GAMES!"

"You can try..." TD growled, before firing off his magic in every direction at the Beasts. This time, he was holding nothing back, letting his power start to rise to it's true levels with every attack.

Beasts succeeded to avoid a few of his attacks, but some of them were hit and disintegrated in a second, with only three of them approached close enough to him to launch an energy beam towards him through their mouth, as their forms started to grow in size. Tempus took a few steps back, before he locked gazes with his dark side, who grinned.

 **"We going to let him have all the fun?"** His dark personality asked, and Tempus grinned as his dark side merged with him. The Alicorn closed his eyes, and the next time he opened them, they were glowing red cat eyes that were tinged with green.

"Mind if I join in TD?" Tempus asked as he spun his scythe beside him, the blade still burning with white fire but now also crackling with Chaos magic.

"Is that a question you had to ask?" TD asked Tempus as he blocked one of Beast's attacks. "Kick his butt!"

Tempus laughed, before swinging his scythe towards the Beast, releasing a blast of Chaos magic at him as he leaped into the sky, still sending blasts of Chaos magic at him, but also sending blast of fire hurtling at him every now and then. Suddenly the other two forms also disappeared, and Beast dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as he passed a grunt to them, then spoke in a somewhat pleading voice.

"Let me... go..." the Beast said. "I can... give you something... in return... just... let me go..."

"You allied with our enemy, threatened the timelines, and you just expect us to let you go?" Tempus spat in disgust.

"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't dispose of you," TD said in agreement with Tempus. A portal began to open in the lower body of creature, as he breathed heavily, mentally smirking.

"I can fix... a few things... you and your friend... messed up..." In the portal, they saw some familiar sceneries, the deaths of ones they both held near and dear, and their friends. "Is that a deal...?"

TD's gaze softened and he looked to those which were remnants of his own past.

"You're saying... you can fix all of it?" he asked, seemingly convinced. Tempus narrowed his eyes, before snorting, the air coming out like smoke from his nose.

"You dare suggest messing with time and death," he snarled. "To the one who rules them. My answer is loud and clear. No."

TD looked long and hard at the portal, taking a few steps towards it. For a moment, it seemed as if he'd accept. Then a smirk appeared on his face.

"You almost convinced me... almost," he smirked, then looked to Beast. "And for the record, I've visited those souls before whom you have mentioned, and they ALL have forgiven me for what I've done! Besides, I could never turn my back on Twilight." He growled as his hands glowed with power. "I've learned that you have to let go of the past and put it behind you. What matters are my choices now and how they affect my future."

"Then you've left me no choice,,," The Beast voice growled loudly as the wormhole in his lower body began to grow. "This reality, your reality, all is gone..."

Tempus snarled as he spun his scythe even faster, the blade now a black circle in the air as a trail of white fire followed it. But before itt could reach him, the Beast exploded with a large amount of energy expelled from him, and that began to shroud them. Tempus glanced at TD, before chanting something in Pyrunian and causing a force field to appear around them as a precautionary measure, before chanting something else and imbuing the force field with some magic, so that it could sustain itself. TD looked to the blast enshrouding them and sighed as he passively added his own power to the shield.

"If this is how I go, then for once... I'm okay with it," TD said. "I'm not afraid to die in any situation. My soul is prepared. I doubt his was."

"I can try and use the Elements of Time," Tempus muttered, his horn glowing brightly as he channeled power into the shield to keep its frequency changing so nothing could penetrate it. "I don't know what it'll do, but the Element of Death combined with Past, Present, and Future might do something."

The explosion was so strong, that it began to rip the plain apart around as it slowly approached to their forcefields... and for some moments began to consume this along with the plain, and also began to approach TD as well. Right before the moment he got enshrouded by the energy of the explosion, time seemed to stop.

"Uh... is that supposed to happen?" TD asked aloud.

 _"Well, not unless someone as stupid as me messes with the Emblem of Entropy."_

TD and Tempus both heard the voice of Evan in their mind, as TD once again noticed him floating in that plane from the corner of his eye.

"Evan, where the [bleep!] have you been!?" TD scolded. "You could've helped, oh I don't know... AT THE START!"

"TD, just be glad he's here helping," Tempus snapped.

"I apologize for that..." Evan said as the explosion began to reverse back towards the monster, and finally they were able to see that he was seemingly now dead. "I needed to fix a few things that beast messed up before showing up here... Have you any idea how dangerous his existence is for well... Existence?" Evan asked seemingly in sarcasm.

"Well considering that I myself was once in that boat... yeah, I can take a good guess," TD replied. "Uh... thanks, I suppose."

"Even I could tell." Tempus said. "Thanks Evan."

"Don't thank me yet," Evan said as the Book of Cosmos appeared in front of him, while the emblem on its cover was shining brightly. "First let's get dispose of this thing," Evan said in disgust while looking towards the body of the beast.

"To the Void?" TD suggested. "There's no coming back from there."

"Great idea, TD... The Void would be a perfect prison for him," Evan said reassuringly, and then sighed.

"Something wrong?" TD inquired.

"I... I talked with my mother..." Evan replied. "She doesn't seem... too good, and, it's feels like..." he sighed but that was clear what he was trying to imply. Tempus sighed, before nodding.

"You don't have to say it Evan," the Alicorn said.

"She... she wanted to see her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter before..." Evan seemingly sobbed. "So, I need to go there, along with Cheerilee and Elena... I really don't wanna back off while the war is still going on, but..."

TD smiled reassuringly. "Go to them. Something tells me that the war is already taken care of."

Tempus nodded with a smile. "The one thing I've learned Evan, is that no matter what, family comes first."

"Thanks..." Evan said "I hope to see you guys again... maybe sometime in the near future..."

He chanted some kind of spell from the Book of Cosmos, and eventually he disappeared with a slight blink of light.

"Goodbye, my friends," Evan's voice lingered after he was disappeared.

"And now... we mop up," TD remarked, looking at the body of the Beast. "Normally I'd do the whole chant but... I wasn't joking when I said this dimension is a doorstep of the Void."

He lifted his hands and a portal opened up underneath The Beast and dropped his body through before closing behind him.

"Annnnd, goodbye!" TD called, before flopping down with a wheeze. "That was too close..."

"Never had a doubt we'd be fine." Tempus said brightly. "Future sight is awesome!"

Tempus's dark side briefly appeared in front of Tempus, letting out a snort before punching the Alicorn prince in the face and vanishing back into him.

Apparently, your dark personality doesn't think so Tempus...

"Shut up Darkstalker728!" Tempus snapped as he frowned.

TD laughed. "I love this job. Come on, I have a four-armed menace to pay a visit to."

TD snapped his fingers and they disappeared from the dimension of Nonexistence.

* * *

 **During this time...**

Suddenly, for Virin, all of his thoughts from within his mind, changed to one, all-out attack on his outer form. His body began to lit up with an silver colored aura, as he had his eyes closed for the moment before opening them once more.

"This is...the end, Nameless," Virin stated slowly to the Nameless One. Phantom Void, meanwhile, summoned two Fire Wolves nearby and gestrued towards the four-armed enemy.

 **"Attack him!"** he ordered, and they rushed to attack The Nameless One. Nameless's blades turned to an icy blue color, and he managed to stab one of the Fire Wolves through, turning it to steam. However, the other one managed to attack and was tearing at one of his arms, preventing him from using that. While this was happening, Bill Prower rushed in with Red, attacking with their sword and viroblades, respectively. At the same time, Pinkie Pie also rushed in and started landing some furious blows on the Robot Master's chest area, seemingly doing much damage to him. However, then Nameless's body began to glow brightly just as Pinkie's Pinkie Sense went off and Bill a moment later shouted, "Hit the deck!"

Unfortunately, they were unable to react in time as a surge of magical energy suddenly erupted from Nameless's form. Twilight, from nearby, had managed to place up a forcefield for Bill and Red, but the Fire Wolf was destroyed completely and Pinkie sent flying into a wall. She didn't seem too hurt, but while she was still trying to stand, Nameless rushed over to her and grabbed her by the throat, ready to skewer her.

"I knew I couldn't rely on Chrysalis to destroy you or your hive," he scoffed. "Never trust a Changeling to do your own job."

"Looks like you'll have to be a little more discerning regarding your cronies," a voice remarked, the voice belonging to Chuck, who was suddenly advancing from the crowd. "Put her down. Now."

"Chuckie!" Pinkie called.

"Or what, Mr. Gareth?" Nameless taunted. "You gonna kill me?"

"No, but I'll make you wish I did," he replied. While this distraction was going on, Pinkie quickly changed forms into a small beetle and dropped out of Nameless's grip, but he didn't mind so much anymore.

"Alright then, make your move Gareth," he challenged.

"Hey! Only a select few get to call him that!" a new voice suddenly exclaimed as Cindy, now in her android form, came up beside Chuck. "And you're not one of them!"

"Uh... does she get to call you that now?" Red inquired. "Because if so, I am so jealous..."

"Call it a perk," Chuck replied to Red. "A perk you don't have. Alright Cindy, Operation: Unleash Hell is a go," he instructed. Cindy grinned as several weapon compartments opened up on her android body.

"Let's make his circuits fry!" she exclaimed excitedly, then fired all her weaponry at once. Nameless tried to deflect what he could, but there was too much for him to handle at once and he started to become simply a punching bag for Cindy's attacks.

"Keep the change, you filthy animal," Chuck grinned, watching the weapons fire off like 4th of July fireworks.

 ** _I must kill the Nameless One!_** Joy spoke in his own mind as his vision got clear, and he could feel a new level of power raging through his very soul and body.

 _I set you free now. It's your time to pay the debt,_ Joy's own voice growled to the other voice.

 ** _I agree. I gotta have my fun with that piece of scrap._**

Blood Phoenix gave a loud call as he advanced towards the robot master while spinning swiftly, and glowing with such intensity that it'd hurt to look at. He looked like a missile made of fire as he advanced towards his only target: the Nameless One.

 _I'll make you cry in agony, just like you did to my sweetheart._

Since he was already being hit by a barrage of weaponry, Nameless had no means of which to counter Joy's attack and was hit with the full force of his attack, which sent him flying back several yards away and slamming into a building.

"Boo ya!" Cindy yelled enthusiastically, giving Chuck a high hoof. "I love this job!"

"Wahoo! Score one for the good guys!" Pinkie cheered, as she returned to Changeling form. Nameless growled as he stood to his feet, glaring daggers at Joy and trying to rush in for the kill again.

The Ultra Instinct form of Virin began to intervene Nameless by flying towards him fast, punching him in the side of the head. Then, flying backwards, Virin started to shoot energy balls at the Robot Master, hitting him repeatedly. Nameless tried deflecting the energy balls back to their sender, but having been already hit too many times before then, he was having difficulties. The silver colored aura of Virin glowed a bit brighter, as he fired an silver colored Kamehameha at Nameless, causing an explosion to occur.

Nameless was sent flying backwards once again from the impact of the explosion, but he righted himself quickly and growled.

"Die, Saiyan sum!" he shouted, throwing two of his swords with chains attached to them at Virin, the swords reaching an incredible speed when he did so; Nameless was certain he wouldn't be able to dodge them or deflect them in time.

However, before they could reach him, several shots were heard firing off in rapid succession and the blades flew off course and harmlessly to the side. Then, a human figure leaped to the front of the crowd of heroes and landed a powerful punch to Nameless, making him stagger backwards again. Diego Kapila smirked and then looked back to Virin with a smile.

"I got your back, buddy!" he said to the Saiyan. Virin smiled as well, nodding to Diego while thanking him for the assistance.

Looking at Nameless, he said, "Let's finish this."

"It's good to be free!" Blood Phoenix shouted in a set of intimidating multiple voices, as he flapped his wings a few times to send two flying vortex of red flames towards the Nameless One while he was still down.

"Wait!" a voice called out, and then Ruby suddenly appeared next to Diego, having used her Semblance to warp over to him. She held out the Gauntlets of Uristuma to Diego and gave him a sheepish smile.

"I think you'll need these more than I will," she said. Diego smiled and ruffled her hair as he took the Gauntlets. He then put them on and the gems glowed, enveloping him in perfectly fitting armor.

"Thanks Ruby," he told her, then looked up to Nameless, who was prepared for another charge. He was a bit singed from where Blood Phoenix had hit him with his flames while he was still down, but otherwise looked ready for combat. Diego cast a sideways glance backwards at Chuck and Cindy.

"Think you two can provide air and ranged support?" he asked.

"You're damn right we can," Chuck nodded.

"Ready and waiting," Cindy agreed as she and Chuck soared upwards to get a better angle with their weaponry. Diego smiled and then turned back to Nameless, cracking his knuckles.

"Let's do this," he said, then shouted, "Fire at will!"

"Alright!" Cindy cheered, opening fire immediately. Nameless immediately started to get roughly the same results from the last time she had started firing upon him, leaving him unguarded for the time being.

 _You know, that I want to kill him myself._ Joy's own voice spoke.

 ** _Alright, let's do this, together!_**

Blood Phoenix floated above the others and before he descended in front of the Nameless One, he was morphed to a more human-like form. The arms were now separated from his wings, his skin color was dark red, and he had a smirk full of jagged sharp teeth, while his hands were now looking like some kind of very sharp claws, and a phoenix tail made of blood red aura could be seen as well at the end of his spine.

"Nameless One!" He chuckled in a horrifying voice. "You're dead!"

Saying this, he charged towards him with blinding speed, leaving a trail of fire behind him, as he unleashed a flurry of charged punches and kicks on the robot master. Nameless took the majority of Joy's blows, but as this forced Cindy to stop firing, it also allowed him to retaliate after a while. Finally managing to get himself together, Nameless started parrying or blocking all of Joy's attacks. But he became so focused on him that he didn't notice Diego approaching until his fist collided with his head, knocking him to the side. Diego then started landing punch after punch to the Robot Master's face, much like a boxer but at speeds that would make IP Man jealous.

After he had smacked him around a bit, Diego called out to his friends with a chuckle, "Anyone else want a turn?"

"He's mine!" Joy shouted as he swiftly came over and grabbed the robot master before smashing him into the ground once again, and began slashing Nameless' head and body with his claws.

"TELL ME, HOW DOES THAT FEEL?!" Joy shouted. "WHEN YOU'RE DYING A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH!"

Diego cursed under his breath. "I should not have said that while he was in hearing range. Now he's gone rage mode."

"Y'know, for a name like Joy..." Chuck muttered, watching the affair.

"Pity," Cindy nodded.

"Dying?" the Nameless One suddenly remarked in answer to Joy's question, then with alarming strength shoved him off of him and into a nearby building... or what was left of it. He then stood back to his feet and rushed Diego, landing multiple blows upon him at a time. Diego took the blows, but was smiling when it was over, much to Nameless's surprise. Then with a simple flick of his finger, Nameless went flying again.

"I just activated a Semblance that has taken every blow you've landed on me and allows me to strike it all back at you twice as powerful as before!" he stated. "And you have my girlfriend to thank for that!"

"Typical... always relying on the help of a girl," Nameless scoffed as he stood to his feet.

"Sexist," Cindy muttered, then to Chuck, "Feel free to blast some holes into him for that."

"Way ahead of you," Chuck noted, firing off an array of weapons in the form of physical bullets to laser beams. Nameless took the shots once more, staggering at each hit but refusing to fall just yet.

"How the hay is this guy still alive?!" Rainbow Dash shouted in frustration, having watched the entire spectacle.

"Because he can't be killed by just you guys!" Diego explained. "He has to be killed by the ones who defeated him before."

"So the most we're doing is being a nuisance?" someone asked.

"It would seem so," Nameless chuckled. "Took ya long enough to figure that out."

The Ultra form of Virin glowed brighter each second this was going on. He had his eyes closed right now as he concentrated on his inner thoughts. Just then, he re-opened them as he began to aim at Nameless, as an silver colored energy ball started to form. Nameless looked over at Virin, and his expression turned to some surprise as he rushed towards the Saiyan. This time, however, what saved him was the form of Tempest Shadow leaping in the way and firing her magic into Nameless at point-blank. The explosions and such that occurred forced Nameless to fly backwards once again, the explosions following him and keeping him preoccupied from interrupting the Saiyan.

The silver colored energy ball fired from Virin's hand, heading towards the fallen Nameless, causing another explosion to occur. Nameless once again fell to the ground, smoking and burning in several areas. He was now looking as if he was a charred corpse that was somehow still walking.

"I'M NOT FINISHED YET!" Joy once again came towards the Nameless One. He grabbed him swiftly and threw him upwards before going after him and smashing him back once again, making a crater in the ground, and then charged his fists and launched a powerful energy beam at him. "I'M NOT GONNA STOP! UNTIL YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Joy!" Bill and Red suddenly shouted at once.

"You can't kill him!" Red continued. "You are not on the same level as TD nor has he chosen for you to kill him! All you're doing right now is wasting your energy!"

"I DON'T CARE! HE KILLED BUBBLE! I'LL MAKE HIM REGRET THIS!" Joy shouted launching another aura beam at the robot master.

"If you kill him now, while your rage consumes you, you'll be no better than he is," Bill remarked. "Do you think she's want that? Would Bubble want you to become what he has become? Instead of destroying his evil for good, you'd become the very thing you wanted to destroy?"

 _I would...?_

Joy said to himself as he ceased to attack Nameless and looked towards his face in the broken glass of a nearby building. The blood red eyes, the jagged teeth, and dark red skin, he couldn't even see himself anymore. He caressed his claw on the mirror as it changed back to its normal form.

 _You can't listen to them, right now! You're that close to avenge your sweetheart!_

The voice of the beast told him, as he looked towards the almost broken Nameless One, while he charged his fists once again.

 _Yes... a few more strikes and he's done for._

Then suddenly his other hand grabbed the fist stopping the flow of magic in it.

 _No... they're right... it isn't me... she'd hate me like this..._

Joy started to fly away from Nameless place towards others, while his eyes turned to normal. "I will not kill him like this."

Suddenly, his eyes turned back to blood red color as he shouted once more flying towards the almost motionless form of the Nameless. "I'll make you!"

"You can't!" Once again, he tried to fly away towards them, but soon it happened again. It seemed like he was talking to himself, while his eyes were switching between red and his natural brown color again and again.

As Joy was struggling within his mind, Nameless saw an opportunity and leaped to his feet, then covered the distance between himself and the human Equestrian within five seconds. He thrust his blade at Joy, only to have it stab through a different figure. In the time that it had taken for Nameless to thrust his sword, Diego Kapila had somehow managed to move into his path, the blade now piercing through where his vitals would be. Nameless growled in frustration.

"How many more must take your killing blow, boy?" he demanded. Then his anger turned to confusion when he heard Diego make a laugh.

"If you really... wanted to kill me..." the rogue said with a smirk. "You should have... gone for the head."

With a single punch, Diego sent Nameless flying back some ways again, leaving his one blade still embedded in his gut. Diego calmly stood to his feet and pulled the sword out, then snapped it in half over his knee, not looking hurt at all despite the blood seeping from his wounds. Even then, the wound soon closed up with a glow from his hands.

"You'll have to try harder than that to kill me," he taunted, as Nameless stood to his feet again. Michael growled, before he looked at the Sword of Death and sheathed it, spinning his axe in one hand in a fashion that demonstrated how familiar he was with it.

"I think I'm done holding back," The Pyrunian said, before charging Nameless as the runes on his axe's blade lit up with a blue light. The robot master was unprepared for this attack, but even so he tried desperately to brace himself for the upcoming attack. Michael grinned as he swung his axe through the air with deadly precision, the edge of the blade turning from silver to a brightly shining metal as it sliced clean through one of Nameless's swords, before the Pyrunian leapt over the robot and landed behind him, rolling before coming to his feet and turning to face his opponent.

"Pyrunian steel triumphs over all metals," Michael said, before smirking. "Even some of the strongest ones."

Meanwhile, Joy's beastly form gave a loud growl as he grabbed his head and flew around uncontrollably in frustration, as another battle was going on inside his mind.

 _I won't let you control me._

Joy saw a demonic figure akin to himself with dark reddish skin and jagged teeth with dark red wings sprouting out from his back.

 _You don't have a choice; your fury won't let you free._

Joy gritted his teeth as he leaped towards the demonic figure, only for him to evade the attack instantly and appear behind him once again, giving a loud chuckle.

 _Why you... I'll show you!_

Joy rushed towards the figure once again while trying to strike once again, only for him to evade his attack once again.

 ** _You won't be able to hold me any longer. Soon your fury will overcome your will, and then only I will control both your mind and body._ **

Meanwhile outside his mind, his form tried to leaped towards Nameless once again, only to stop suddenly as struggle between sides for domination continued.

The silver glowing form of Virin glared at Nameless as he gave the robot master an hostile growl.

"You'll be in for justice," he repeated himself. "For killing Scootaloo. I am going to make you pay for what you've done!" He aimed his hands at Nameless, as the silver colored form of an Kamehameha formed in them. "BURN IN HELL!"

He fired the attack towards the robot master. Nameless looked to his two remaining blades, then brought them in front of himself and blocked the Kamehameha, but it was not going too well for him. He was now virtually unguarded from the sides. A well-aimed blow would be all it took to break his concentration...

Michael let out a battle cry, before leaping at Nameless, his blade swinging up above his head as he executed a downstroke at the robot, his full strength going into the blow as the blade steamed as magical energy coursed into it. Nameless let out a cry as the blade bit deep into his shoulder, the blue blood seeping out at an alarming rate. He stumbled as Michael removed the axe and stepped back, letting the Kamehameha do its work. This time, instead of flinging Nameless backwards, once it cleared he was still where he had been before, now steaming and burned in several places, particularly near his wounds. Michael growled as he unsheathed the Sword of Death, hitting it against his axe and causing the two weapons to merge together, his axe's blade now rippling with black energy as he aimed it at Nameless.

"You were destined to fail Nameless," the Pyrunian hissed. "I will not allow my friend to fall if I can prevent it."

 ** _It ends here!_**

The demonic form yelled as he leaped towards Joy, who was already feeling exhausted, and fell to his knees. Joy was almost about to give up to his beastly side when he remembered for whom he needed to defeat his own beast. Though Bubble was no more, there was still many ponies depending on him; his family, his mother, his aunt, and his children... his children, his and Bubble's foals.

It was then when he noticed that creature was about to stab him with his weapon, and he closed his eyes, all of sudden, only to hear a familiar voice.

 _"Stay away from him!"_

Joy couldn't believe his ears, as he opened his eyes to see a familiar unicorn figure standing in front of him, blocking the beast's attack through a shield.

 _Bub- Bubble? Are you- are you really here?_

A sob was made by him as he spoke. The figure in front him was a unicorn but he was pretty sure that she was Bubble. Joy saw her throw the beast away by exploding his shield towards him.

 _"Hurry up, you must wake up now! Your friends needs you!" s_ he said to him, while passing him a smile and helping him to stand up.

 _Bubble?_ Joy asked once again.

 _"Well, no... I'm not Bubble, I'm just your hope,"_ she replied. _"You can say, I'm a fragment of her memories you always held near and dear..."_ She pressed her hoof on Joy's chest while a light shone from it. _"Now, you know what you have to do..."_

She began to disappear, as he noticed the said expression on her face. _"There's no time for being sad, Joy; defeat that beast while you still can."_

Joy passed her a nod as she completely disappeared and looked towards the beast. Joy raised his fist, and enveloped him beast in his aura. The beast began to struggle to free himself, as he gave a loud growl and disintegrated into red dust, the dust then being absorbed by Joy.

Joy opened his eyes once again, and he noticed he was on the battle scene once again, while again in his normal Blazing Star form.

"That... that was horrible..." Joy said. Soon he noticed that Michael was fighting the Nameless One, and he leaped towards the others to help them.

Phantom Void, at this time, used his dark magic to create some crystal shards.

"Everypony! Incoming shards!" he warned. "Fallen Crystal Clash!"

He launched all of the crystal shards towards The Nameless One, all of them landing a hit and causing him to stumble backwards, looking very much like a porcupine.

"Hey look! It's Crystal Shard's cousins!" Red joked.

"Not the time, Red!" a chorus of voices yelled, except for Pinkie Pie who shouted, "Hey, you stole my joke!"

"I will freeze you in a block of ice when this is over pincushion!" Tempus's Crystal Shard yelled as she cleaved a robot in half with the Harmony Axe. "I promise you!"

Overhead, Chris's suit of armor flew around, shooting blasts into knots of energy. Suddenly, one of the enemy human soldiers fell as an arrow pierced him through the back, and Chris stood up from a spot on a nearby hill, wearing a cloak and holding a massive longbow in his hands, another arrow already on the string.

"Sometimes, I swear he likes his toys too much," Nightmare muttered before diving back into the battle.

"Should I send down Pyrunian reinforcements?" Dark Enchanter asked over the coms.

"Do it. This fight ends now!" Bill called. Meanwhile, Nameless was pulling out the crystal shards and looked around at his army. It was clear now that the battle was lost. Still, he growled as a light appeared in his hands and replaced his missing weapons. He then looked to them.

"Fine! You win this battle!" he shouted, as his body began to glow. "But at least I'll get one participation award! A family of your friend's who's dying to see me!"

At this, Diego, Red and Bill looked up at the same time.

"William's family!" they yelled at the same time. "On Earth!"

"I wouldn't describe anything from Earth as a prize," Chuck scoffed. Joy came towards them after calming down his anger on the army of the Nameless One, as he heard what just they said. He gave Red, and Bill and a few others an apologetic yet a thankful look, before grunting in frustration, as he looked towards where Nameless was standing.

"I should've killed him, while I still could..." he muttered. Michael growled as he raced towards Nameless. A loud boom split the sky, and several large ships flew down, landing around Nameless's army as they opened up and Pyrunians charged out, smashing into the enemy forces as multiple smaller Pyrunian fighter planes shot through the sky, every now and then peppering clustered knots of the enemy with their weapons.

As Michael reached Nameless, he thrust a hand upwards as he chanted something in Pyrunian, before clenching his hand into a fist as it began to glow blue.

"You won't get any award," Michael growled, before the Pyrunian vanished with a snapping sound and blast of icy air. Nameless looked to them all as the glow around him became brighter.

"Say goodbye to your family... Terror of Dimensions," he scoffed and then disappeared just as Diego, Bill, and Red all slammed the ground where he had been standing. By this time, TD and Tempus had finished their fight with The Beast and had just managed to hear this. Joy grunted in anger while turning back to normal as he shouted in frustration.

"Great! That's just it!" Joy shouted. "We just saved Equestria, but now Willaim's family back on Earth is in danger! And worst, that piece of scrap, still lives!" He added as he looked towards TD. "Weren't you suppose to KILL HIM?!"

"Well excuse me for fighting the Beast of Time while you were busy with him!" TD shouted back. Tempus snorted in anger, before looking around.

"Where the hay is Michael?" he asked. "Please tell me that idiot didn't get himself killed."

Joy took a deep sigh. "I'm sorry," he said to TD in a little low voice. "I don't remember what happened... while I was... not myself!"

"You're fine Joy," TD said, then in a panicking tone, "Though I just realized... HE'S AFTER MY FAMILY!"

"Oh boy..." Twilight sighed.

"Here we go..." Rainbow Dash muttered.

"I have to get back there and save them! But how can I do it alone? I almost died the first time and even then it was all a ruse. But this time it won't be and I'll have to explain everything to my parents about me being the Terror of Dimensions..." TD started ranting off in panic.

"William," Tempus said firmly. "You won't be alone. I'm going with you."

"And so will I," Chris said as he stepped forwards, his bow still in hand. "After all, Earth used to be my home; I can get some better weaponry from my old house."

"No. I can't risk anymore of your lives!" TD shouted. "I've already risked them enough just by living in this world!"

"I'm considering to come along with you..." Joy sighed as he looked away "...but at this point, I'm honestly doubting you'd let me..."

"William, one person has already decided to risk their life for you," Tempus said with a grim smile. "I believe I figured out on my own where Michael went." The Alicorn stood at his full height. "I'm going with you William. And if you try and stop me, I'll just follow you after you leave."

"Tempus..." TD started, but was interrupted by Twilight.

"What is it with you and not accepting help when you need it?" she demanded. "Is this a game to you? A chance to become the Terror of Dimensions again?"

"What? No!" TD shouted.

"Then what it is?" Twilight demanded again.

"I'm... I'm too scared!" TD told her.

"Scared? So this makes you braver?"

"Yes- no!"

"Is this all just a chance to prove you can handle things even when you know that you can't?"

 **"I LOST YOU ONCE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!"** TD shouted in an unearthly loud voice, far louder than any Royal Canterlot voice. The sky darkened and thunder cracked at the sound of his voice. Twilight barely flinched, but most of the others, Zach included, backed away in shock from what they heard. TD huffed for a few moments, then tears streamed down his face.

"I can't... not again... it broke me when I did... I can't... lose you again..." he whispered.

"This has been like, pure pop culture fan wank," Chuck remarked. "I'm just one more quote away from reference bingo," he remarked, filling out a card.

Tempus's eyes softened, before he stepped up to TD and looked him in the eyes.

"William, I'm going with you," the Alicorn said. "I don't care what you say. I've been risking my life as long as I've lived. I'm not just going to back down when my friend doesn't want me to do what I do almost every day."

"TD, I wanna help you too..." Joy said "...and I really don't wanna leave you alone... but I'm myself not sure, really not sure this time..." he sighed and looked down. "But, at this point I don't think I wanna back off either..."

Twilight then decided to speak. "William... I understand how you feel. In all honesty, I worry about you just as much anytime you're gone. But I'm your wife, and as part of any married couples' vows, I will stand by you for better or for worst. Besides, if we work together, you won't have to worry about losing anypony."

"But... I..." TD stammered.

"TD, do us a favor and shut up," Bill remarked.

"Lose that Apple pride- sorry AJ- and accept help when you need it," Red added. "There's no shame in it."

"Besides, did you really think any of us would actually stay back like that while you go on?" Diego remarked.

"...No," TD finally answered, smiling a little. "I guess not. Thanks guys... I needed a little slap to the face. On that note, Twi... please slap me before I change my mi- OW!"

Twilight smirked, having thought ahead of time before he had even spoken. "You were saying?"

"Nevermind," TD chuckled, then looked to them. "Alright. Tempus, Joy, Twi, Zach, Diego, Red, and Bill. Y'all with me. The rest of you, stay here and mop up. For those coming, I'm giving you about a minute or two to say goodbyes, just in case."

"Ahem," Chris said, raising an eyebrow. "Former resident of Earth who just so happens to have some weapons in my house we could use. Sure you don't want me?"

"And before you say no William, this is the kid who created a machine to take him between worlds, so if you say no odds are we'll run into him anyways," Tempus said as he hurried over to his Starlight and two embraced each other.

"Eh... fair enough," TD agreed. "Alright Chris, say your goodbyes."

"Thanks..." Joy passed him a nod. "But before we go... can someone at least inform my children that I'll be not coming back for a while... please."

"That'd be me," Zach replied. His wings glowed for a moment as he flared them open, then they abruptly stopped and he looked to Joy.

"They've got the message," he said.

"Thank you very much Zach... however you did this..." Joy said as he passed him a smile.

"I think I'm fine," Chris said as he looked over his shoulder. "I don't think she's nearby..."

"Oh really?" A voice said, and Frost marched up to the human, her form rippling until the Twilight Sparkle of Tempus's world stood in front of him. Chris had the decency to look embarrassed as he knelt and hugged her, whispering something in her ear.

"Twilight," Applejack spoke to TD's version of the alicorn. "Good luck, sugarcube."

"Show that ruffian who he's messed with," Rarity cheered.

"Kick his flank and send him to Tartarus!" Rainbow encouraged.

"And when you get back, I'm throwing the biggest party Equis has ever seen!" Pinkie called out.

"You've got this, Princess," Tempest remarked with a smile. "Make us proud."

"Bring us a souvenir when you're done," Starlight chuckled. Then they looked to Fluttershy.

"Well... um, I'm not usually one to say this, but..." Fluttershy started, then added rapidly and loudly, "Give him hell, Twilight!" She then blushed sheepishly and looked away.

"Ha! That's my Fluttershy!" Discord cheered from the Equestrian army behind them.

"Can I make Fluttershy saying 'Give them hell' my ringtone?" Chuck asked in amazement. Tempus finally finished hugging his Starlight and kissed her, before trotting up to TD and nodding.

"I'm ready," he said, just as Chris hurried over to join them, slinging his bow across his back.

"William," Phantom walked over to TD. "Good luck my friend."

"Waiiiit!" a female's voice called out and then Diana came rushing over to them, breathing heavily. "I'm coming too..."

TD gave her a look, then sighed with a chuckle.

"Might as well," he said as his daughter joined them. He then looked to his friends beside him. "Let's put an end to this battle once and for all. Shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Tempus said with a smile as Chris grinned. Joy looked towards all of them in determination.

"So, we're leaving?" Joy asked. "Well, I guess I'd like to see Earth once again."

"You'll only be seeing a small part of it, but yeah," TD agreed. He then began to open the portal to his world, only then noticing that Diego had not yet returned. He groaned and looked behind him to see Yang giving the rogue a big kiss.

"Diego, stop smooching your girlfriend and get over here!" he yelled. Diego gave an eye roll, but reluctantly obeyed.

"Beat the tar out of him, babe," Yang told him. Diego gave her a grin.

"Oh I plan to, Goldilocks. I so plan to..." he remarked, then stood beside the others.

"Annnd... Geronimo!" TD cheered, jumping through the portal.

"To infinity and beyond!" Zach followed suit.

"Oh for goodness sake, just go!" Bill called out, jumping through.

"I've never felt so alive!" Red laughed and jumped in with Diego at the same time.

"Well... can't beat 'em, join 'em," Twilight remarked, then with a high-pitched childish giggle she jumped through as well, Diana in pursuit. Tempus rolled his eyes, before he leapt into the portal, keeping up his image of being serious as he said nothing.

"I don't have anything witty to say, so I'll just settle for a bye," Chris said, before he did a backflip into the portal.

 _For my Bubble, my family, and my friends..._ Joy thought as he silently stepped through the portal. The portal stood open for a moment longer, then it abruptly shut with a loud "pop" and then there was silence... interrupted only a second later by Cindy looking over at what was left of Nameless's army. The humans had thrown down their arms, but the robots still stood defiant.

"Well, now that goodbyes are over..." she suggested, prepping her weapons, "...who's up for taking out the trash?"

Nightmare grinned at Cindy as she raised her scythe.

"I thought you'd never ask," the Alicorn said with a chuckle.

Blade walked over to his wife. "Ready for a hoedown dear?"

Onyx summoned an army of Grimm. "You girls are ready for this?" he asked Team RWBY.

"Ya need to ask?" Applejack chuckled, noticing the looks on everyone's faces.

"Let's have some fun," Yang suggested.

"For once, I can agree," Weiss chuckled.

"Team RWBY is back in business!" Ruby cheered. Blake just chuckled.

"And so is the Mane 7! Or six at this point," Rainbow Dash said sheepishly.

"How about I just sum up what everypony is thinking?" Pinkie suggested, then in a loud voice directed at everyone, "Light 'em up, ladies!"

The Crystal Shard of Tempus's world let out a whoop as the blades of the Harmony Axe began to glow. "Let's do this!

"FOR THE HORDE!" Blade shouted.

"May as well make use o'myself somehow." Chuck remarked, prepping to fight.

"Howl Like a Wolf..." Onyx transformed into a Dragon Grimm and he gave a ear-piercing roar.

"Alright kiddies, enough talking," Cindy chided. "ATTACK!"

With one accord, all the heroes charged the remaining robots as one, ready to scourge the last of their enemy from their homes.

* * *

 **Stay tuned! The final showdown between TD and The Nameless One is up in the next chapter. Afterwards, we'll mostly be doing epilogue chapters with the other characters.**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and I'll cya in the next chapter!**


	11. The Nameless One's Final Fight

**Here it is! The final fight between TD and his enemy!**

* * *

 **-Eight Earth Years (Thousands of Equestrian Years) Ago-**

 _William breathed heavily as he and his brothers faced down the robot master whom they had trusted as a friend. Up until today, Nameless hadn't proven to be of any trouble or threat to the three brothers, even allowing them to see much of the work he and his men had been undertaking. That friendship had lasted until one day when some trusted secret friends of the brothers' told them about a plan Nameless had been conducting in private; a plan to take the Earth starting with their deaths. Naturally, the brothers' used this newfound knowledge against Nameless and destroyed both his armies and bases of operations on Earth before finally deciding to take on the four-armed robot himself._

 _However, that proved to be no easy feat. The brothers' were still new to their powers, and therefore they operated at lower levels than they normally would have worked. To make matters worst, the Nameless One had a sneaky trump card up his sleeve; an enchanted armor plating that reduced their magic levels even further, making it harder for them to compete. Nevertheless, compete they would, for too much was at stake for them if they failed._

 _William tried to use his magic to land a blow on Nameless, but he quickly dodged the strike and smirked. Though not as fast or skilled in those days, Nameless was still a warrior without peer among his kind. And he proved it efficiently that day. While William was trying to attack again, he quickly grabbed the human's arms and pinned him in place as his other arms started to raise for the kill._

 _"Sean! Help!" William called, and just when the blades almost fell upon him, another blade, one made of solid ice, parried the attack and forced Nameless to release his hold. Sean, the middle child among the three brothers, glared at The Nameless One with his sword at the ready as a burst of poisonous green fire appeared and the youngest brother, Ian, stepped from out of the flames, wielding a large mace that was glowing with the power infused inside of it. The mace was very similar in design to that of the infamous dark lord Sauron of Middle-Earth, but with the young one's own power instead of that of the dark lord's. Ian, not waiting for a second, charged Nameless, striking at a surprisingly fast pace, the strength of his blows and the mace itself forcing Nameless to stay agile and try to find an opening instead of taking the human head on. Eventually, he found his opening as well as the human's flawed strategy. Moving swiftly, he rushed to the side and stabbed one of his swords through the human's side, causing him to groan in pain. Ian's mace flew up into Nameless's face and sent him flying a few feet, while he removed the blade painfully from his side._

 _Sean then decided to make his move. He moved swiftly against Nameless, his blade clashing with swift precision and expertise, relying more on his skill with the blade than raw power. He was not the strongest, but he was swift and cunning, and that was all he needed to keep the battle in his favor. Sadly, Nameless was more skilled in combat, and he would not stay down for long. Finally managing to go on the offensive, the robot master knocked Sean's blade aside, then attempted to try and do the same grip attack on William he had done before. However, Sean was no fool. He had been trained by his order, one separate from William's, to counter such measures. Quickly, he broke free from the Nameless One's grip and then pushed him aside._

 _"It's not use. We can't take him on individually," William panted, feeling tired already._

 _"Then we'll take him on together," Sean replied, reeling in his own fatigue unlike his older brother. "With our combined strength, we just might stand a chance."_

 _"Yeah!" Ian roared. And once more they charged into battle, using a strategy only shared with themselves. Sean swiftly moved in and out, landing a blow here and there on Nameless or distracting him with his baldes, Ian forced him to go on the defensive with his power strikes and dealing much damage when he landed a hit, and William attacked from a distance with his magic or used it to support his brothers should the fight be going south for them. Even so, it wasn't easy. Nameless fought like a raging bull against them, striking furiously and with rage against them all, somehow keeping up with them all no matter what was thrown at him, and managing to recover quickly should he be wrong footed._

 _As such, it was a surprise and relief to them all when the Nameless One finally fell to the ground, motionless. William and his brothers all stopped to catch their breaths, then did the only thing they knew what to do with his body. They dragged him to a ditch with a raging river inside of it and tossed his body into the river, letting it take him far from them. Afterwards, to keep things a secret, Ian used his powers over life and death to repair the damage done to the environment around them while William altered the minds of any and all who had witnessed their fight. Yes, even the minds of their parents; sad as it was that they had to hide it from them, none of the brothers could risk them knowing yet. It was too soon._ _The fight may have been over, but each brother felt something different about it as a whole._

 _Ian, having power over death in some ways, thought that The Nameless One was not truly dead, for he had never sensed his death._

 _Sean, being the clever and more thoughtful one of the bunch, suspected that it was possible for Nameless to return or a successor try to take back his kingdom, and would spend much of his time within his order to keep an eye on the former alien robot's kingdom._

 _William, on the other hand, believed that Nameless was dead, and that he would never come back. Deep down, a part of him knew that it was a lie, but that's perhaps why he did it. He truly wanted it to be over, and wanted to believe that his family was safe and a terrible enemy destroyed for good._

 _Oh how wrong he was..._

* * *

 **-Earth; October 27th, 2018-**

"You know... of all the places I expected to show up on Earth... this is the last," TD remarked aloud, taking in his surroundings. They were standing outside of an old warehouse, the windows of which were boarded up and a massive padlock held the doors closed. Only one of the windows wasn't boarded up, and Tempus frowned in confusion.

"I feel like I know this place..." the Alicorn said softly.

"I know it," Chris said, crouching and running his hand across the side of the warehouse's wooden wall until he stopped as he felt something carved into the wood. He traced it, and a small grin crossed his face as he traced out the image of a dragons head with its mouth open.

"This is where Michael lived when I first met him,"the human said, standing. "I don't know why we'd end up here though."

"Hey, at least it's secluded," Red remarked, looking about. "Or at the very least not full of peeping eyes."

None of the people who had arrived had changed forms, but as TD explained it had to do with either their powers or their original appearances respectively it wasn't much of a problem. The only ones that truly confused them were Twilight and Diana, who didn't possess the powers to stay in their original forms when they arrived on Earth.

"Twi, Diana, how are you not changed?" TD asked. Twilight smiled.

"When you're married to somepony with chaotic powers, you pick up a few things," she told him. "Especially when you share a connection with him."

"And I learned one of your restricted spells to stay this way," Diana added.

"So, what's supposed to happen to their pony form while they're here?" Joy asked curiously. Twilight sighed, then her horn glowed and in a flash she transformed into... well, her human counterpart, minus the glasses.

"We turn into humans ourselves," Twilight explained, then in a flash she turned back.

"I could do that myself, but it's easier to just use a cloaking spell than explain the waving hair," Tempus muttered.

"Oh, that's strange..." Joy said thoughtfully, scratching his head. "Well, nevermind, let me check if I can use magic here..." He transformed into his winged form. "I can... that's a relief..."

Tempus snorted, before a streak of black lightning shot by them, going straight through the warehouse wall and disappearing.

"Anypony else see that?" Tempus asked, wanting to confirm he wasn't just seeing things.

"I did," Bill Prower remarked. "And I'm hoping that's who I think it is..."

"Who?" Joy asked. "Michael?"

"That's the hope," Diego said, looking at the lock. "I can bust this thing open with a single punch, but will that be counted as breaking and entering?"

"Does it matter?" TD asked. "It's not like we're gonna allow the police to remember us afterwards."

"I got this," Chris said as he stepped forwards, before bending down and picking up what seemed like a normal rock, only to turn it over and remove the bottom, upending it over his palm and causing a key to tumble into his hand.

"Oh, I see," Red said. "Clever."

Joy gave him a confused look, before seemingly shrugging something off and saying, "Yeah, really clever..."

Chris smirked as he stepped up to the padlock and inserted the key, turning it and causing the lock to open. He removed it, before shoving his full weight against the door and slowly shoving it open, revealing the inside of the warehouse, which had boxes all around the outside edges of it, while in the very center sat a giant hunk of metal surrounded by several other chunks of metal, as well as various toolboxes and workbenches.

"I recognize the design of this," Tempus said, hurrying up to the metal chunks. "This used to be a Pyrunian ship."

"Whoa..." Red gasped, then rushed over to it while examining it. "This stuff is better than anything I've ever seen before! You've gotta let me replicate it when this is over!"

"We'll have plenty of time afterwards," Bill stated. "For now... let's just find Michael, grab what we need and haul out of here."

Yes, please. I know you can hear this, even Joy this one time for convenience. But HURRY UP! You-know-who is here!

"Huh?" Joy said in a little confusion. "I guess, I heard a voice... you heard that too, right?" He asked. "Looks like we need to hurry up."

There was a sudden humming sound, before an icy white-blue light lit up a corner, and a familiar voice growled, "Away from the ship. It's not for touching."

"Sorry!" Red shouted, jumping away from the ship.

"Michael, stop playing mystery man and show yourself already... if that's even you," Bill scolded. There was a chuckle as Michael stepped into view, his Pyrunian gun pointing towards the floor as he held it in both hands, already having it powered up.

"Bill, I never get to have fun," the Pyrunian said, smiling. "Just lemme have my moment, okay?"

"Well excuse me for not being in the mood right now," Bill remarked.

"Hard to believe that sometimes he's a fun guy to be around, huh?" Zach muttered aloud.

"Eh, not too hard," Diego stated. "This is like Weiss during any mission."

"Sure," Joy passed them a sarcastic shrug. "It's a pretty great time to have fun... Isn't it?"

"How about we get back to business?" Tempus snapped.

"Okay... Nameless is targeting my family," TD explained. "That means they'd be in the USA, Colorado to be precise."

"So we get there, face him down, kick his flank, and send him home?" Twilight asked.

"If we can manage it," TD nodded. "He's probably healed himself considerably by now. And only myself and my personalities can actually kill him. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Joy asked impatiently.

"Oh, I see where this is going," Bill chuckled.

"Unless I make you all Guardians as well, or temporarily give you a blessing," TD finished.

"So, you can do that..." Joy said thoughtfully.

"How do you think Tempus became a Guardian of Time, kid?" Red remarked. "You don't just become one."

"Red's right." Tempus said. "I was the Guardian of my Equestria for so many years I forget. I was only promoted to Guardian of Time after I met TD."

"I mean what are you proposing... like, do you plan to do so?" Joy asked.

"Well..." TD smirked. "I've been thinking about you in particular for a while, Joy. And I think I know my answer." A sword of fire appeared in TD's hand. "Kneel please, Joy."

"All... right..." Joy smiled and did as TD said. TD moved the sword just above Joy's left shoulder, then alternated to his right, and finally above his head, speaking all the while.

"By the voice of the council, by the will of Reality, I dub you Zane Lumino as Guardian of Hope, both in your world and throughout all Existence." He made the sword disappear and gestured. "Rise, Guardian of Existence."

Joy stood up on his feet and gave him a look of surprise and a little disbelief. "So... I am a Guardian, now...?" He then realized that they were still in the middle of something far more important than his questions. "So, let's find the Nameless One... I am pretty sure... he'd be at same place which I met you on Earth many years ago..."

Tempus coughed.

"Still have a few more who could possibly need to be Guardianized in order to help us kill Nameless," he said quietly.

"About that..." TD started, but Twilight finished for him.

"We talked about it once, and I myself do not wish to become a Guardian," she said. "I'm content staying as Princess of Friendship, as well as headmare of my school too."

"And I want to settle down with Sugar Plum," Zach remarked. "Besides, I already possess Dad's power. I can kill Nameless without it."

"Basically, we are content as we are," Diana stated, breaking her silent streak for a while.

"In that case..." TD snapped his fingers and a white light enveloped them temporarily. TD then did something not commonly seen with him; he fell to the ground in exhaustion, stopped only by Diana's aura.

"Thanks sweetie," he said to her.

"Well... didn't think I'd see that again," Red remarked, then gave TD a potion to drink. "That'll bring ya back."

Tempus raised an eyebrow, before glancing at Chris.

"Don't even go there," Chris grunted. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am. Thanks to your little idol thingie-ma-bob, I'll be able to live as long as my Twilight."

"It's not a thingie-ma-bob," Tempus grunted. "It is a priceless artifact that is worth protecting."

Michael grunted. "If you can't tell, they've had this argument before," he muttered to Twilight.

"Oh I can tell," Twilight said.

"Alright, enough chit chat," TD announced, downing his potion with one gulp and then springing to his feet with a new energy. "Let's get the show on the road! Who's doing the jump? Or are we taking the plane?"

"Plane's been dead since I crash landed on Earth a long time ago," Michael grunted.

"Jump it is. And that'd be me," TD remarked. "Here we go..."

He snapped his fingers and they all disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

In the state of Colorado in the USA, in a park not far from a neighborhood nearby, a boy of 18 was walking along the sidewalk path that cut through the park. He looked exactly like TD, but with a key difference being that he seemed younger when you looked into his eyes, as well as his build, which was considerably less as well. He was looking around at some of the scenery before him, even though he had seen it a thousand times over, and took a sigh. He knew about Nameless and he knew he'd be coming for him soon. He just hoped that the others could get there in time.

As if to rain on his parade, a metallic figure landed from up in the sky before him and stood to his full height, extending his four arms out to the side. The boy just sighed again.

"Speak of the devil and he will appear," he grumbled.

"Hello... William," the Nameless One scoffed. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Well I was... until a big metal tin can fell from the sky," William retaliated.

Nameless chuckled. "I always did think you were my favorite. Now then, we both know what the deal is here, and in this area you currently don't have any magic. Stand down, and I'll let you live."

William, although a bit scared at the honesty in that statement, frowned and didn't budge.

"You'll have to kill me first," he growled.

"That can be arranged," Nameless stated, stepping forwards as he raised his swords above his head to land a killing blow. Just then, a loud noise was heard behind them and Nameless turned to see a portal open up and drop out TD and his friends.

"What the- No!" he growled. "How'd you get here so quickly?!"

"Very easily," TD remarked with a smirk. Michael unsheathed his axe and aimed it at Nameless.

"In fact, I was here before you were," the Pyrunian said with a smirk.

"And you brought your other family," Nameless chuckled. "Good. I was hoping for a challenge. Victory will be so much sweeter when I kill both of them in one day."

"Don't get too comfortable," Red remarked. "Each and every one of us is capable of killing you now."

"Now, I am a Guardian too," Joy told the Nameless One with a smirk. "And if I'm not wrong, I almost killed you before I was a Guardian, so you know... you don't have much of a chance against all of us."

The Nameless One looked to them with slight doubt in his eyes upon hearing that they all were capable of killing him now. Then he growled.

"It doesn't matter," he stated. "I've defeated William and his brothers before, both of whom are more powerful than the majority present. You don't stand a chance."

"Yeah... times change, and our powers have grown," TD scowled, charging up his power.

"Uh, I'm just gonna take a few steps back," William said with a nervous chuckle, backing away. Tempus growled, his eyes narrowing, before he closed them, then opening them, revealing they were now glowing silver.

"We were never properly introduced Nameless," the Alicorn said. "I am the future and the past. I stand in a single place, yet am everywhere at once. I am the flame of life and the darkness of death. I am the defender of all, yet the defender of one."

As he spoke, Tempus's form shifted. The Alicorn still had his brown coat and grey-and-black streaked mane, but now he had on a worn leather cape, and circling around him were dark blue threads of energy, all of which shimmered with pictures that were transparent. He narrowed his glowing silver eyes at The Nameless One, the air around him crackling with power.

"I am the protector of my Equestria, the friend of all who are innocent, the shield of righteousness," Tempus said, his voice having a slight echoing quality to it now. "I rule past, present, and future. I am the watcher of all possibilities. I am the Guardian of Timelines, and you will know failure if you face me, Nameless One."

Joy gave a grunt of anger as he stepped forwards and glared at Nameless One.

"I don''t do introduction speeches, but let me make that clear to you who I am!" Joy's wing erected straight as he began. "I'm a human who was born on Atlis and raised in Equestria, the son of the Solar Princess, the Prince of Canterlot..." Two swords appeared in Joy's hands. "...and I'm the last legacy of the Phoenix Mages, the spark of Hope in the darkness of Despair. I'm Zane Lumino, the Guardian of Hope! Beware, because right now standing in front of you..." His eyes gave a bright yet intimidating glow, "...IS YOUR CERTAIN DEATH!"

"Me? Certain death? HA!" Nameless scoffed. "I fear it should be YOU who begs for mercy!"

"Then I have only one request for you since you won't back down," TD remarked.

"And what's that?" Nameless asked, seemingly amused. TD smirked.

"Red, care to lend your voice?" TD asked. The hedgehog nodded and then spoke.

"Say hello to grandmama," Red stated, his voice sounding exactly like the Godfather in _Zootopia_ , then turned to Tempus and Michael and added, "Ice him!"

Michael and Tempus exchanged glances, before in unison they each shouted something in Pyriunian, a beam of ice shooting off of the Pyrunian's axe blade and the Alicorn's horn as they shot towards Nameless. The Robot Master clearly had not seen or heard that reference because he was almost caught completely off-guard, barely managing to block both beams, only to have two of his arms now frozen. He growled and then his metallic shell turned red as the ice melted away slowly. During this time, Red quickly shot over to him and landed a punch to his face, followed by one done by Diego as well, knocking him over. This was followed by Joy, who hovered upwards before swinging his swords swiftly and launching the slashes of energy through the wind straight towards the Nameless One.

Nameless growled and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blasts, then having to go on the defensive again and block several beams being fired by Twilight, Diana, and Zach at once. He roared with anger before deflecting them back and rushing forward with lightning speed and attempting to cut one of them down... only to stop in midair and get slammed down by TD.

"Denied!" TD cackled. He then looked thoughtful. "Now, how can we bring this to our favor?"

"His speed is enough for even me to be wary," Bill remarked. "And having four arms is not making it easier for us."

"Then we remove some of his assets," Red suggested.

"I can probably take him," Tempus said, smirking. "Thanks to Michael, I have speedster powers, and my future sight will prove useful."

"I can also move superfast..." Joy told them, "..but I don't know how fast as compared to him..."

"The speed is always gonna be an issue," Zach stated. "What we need to focus on are the arms and gadgets at his disposal..."

Suddenly, Nameless started pulsating brightly as TD said in a nonchalant manner, "Incoming..." and placed a shield up, just as a wave of energy fired forth from Nameless. The Robot Master stood to his feet and rushed at the forcefield, destroying it with a single blow. TD reacted quickly, smashing him with a glowing fist and sending him flying into several trees lining the sidewalk path they were on.

"I'll keep him busy for a moment," he said, firing blasts of magic as Nameless attacked him again, bringing the fight away from his friends. "You guys think of something to wear him down!"

Tempus frowned, before he made a noise of exclamation and shifted to his human form from the EQG world, running a hand through his hair and causing it to lay flat.

"I can use my super speed to attack him and vibrate to be intangible so that I can't get hurt."

"Only a temporary fix," Red stated. "I've seen the tech he uses. Once he catches on, he'll just vibrate the molecules of his swords at just the right levels to harm you. And while you have speed, he can react at speeds about at light speed or faster."

"How about freezing him?" Diego asked.

"He'll melt it like before," Bill stated.

"No, not permanently," Diego explained. "If you can freeze his arms just long enough for me to get in close, I can shatter them with a single punch."

"Okay, that works," Bill agreed.

"I can try doing that," Michael said. "My ice magic can go extremely cold."

Joy looked towards his swords as his eyes shone more brightly.

"I can hold him in my aura grip for the moment!" Joy told them reassuringly. "Hopefully long enough for you guys to do your job!"

"Uh, if you have a plan, now would be a good time!" TD shouted, and they turned to see he was pinned to the ground, trying to push back all four of Nameless's weapons from stabbing into him.

"William!" Twilight shouted, then fired a beam at Nameless, forcing the Robot Master to block her attack. Diana, catching on as to how that could help, fired her own beam and Zach did as well, leaving Nameless rather preoccupied.

"Joy, when he freezes the arms, I need you to keep Nameless immobile for as long as possible so Diego can get a shot," Red told Joy, then shouted, "Now Michael!"

Michael nodded, before shooting towards Nameless, lightning flickering around him as he raised his right hand, shouting something in Pyrunian as his hand smoked with frost. A beam of pure ice shot from it, smashing into Nameless and circling the robot, shooting straight through each of the robots arms and rapidly freezing them solid from the inside out. Joy raised his hands while they were glowing brightly with his golden aura, and then clenched them, instantly binding the Nameless One in an invisible grip of his aura.

"Got him!" Joy shouted.

"Gah!" Nameless screeched, trying to move. As he struggled, Diego rushed forward and landed a punch to one of the alien's arms, shattering it completely. Nameless roared aloud, as a second figure came by and sliced off the other with his sword. Bill landed on the ground and smirked as TD teleported to safety. And not a moment too soon, for Nameless finally managed to break free of Joy's grasp and the ice melted off of him entirely.

"What have you done?!" he yelled, looking to his missing limbs, one of which could never be recovered.

"Just deep froze you," Michael said with a smirk, before he twirled his axe up and over his head, before whipping it down as it flew towards Nameless. Nameless managed to deflect it, but he was clearly in a lot of pain and seemed to be putting much effort behind his deflection. Joy charged with his swords and quickly hovered towards the robot master as he swiped his swords and swiftly passed Nameless while he was still off the guard, before repeating the same action from other side, hovering back to his original place afterwards. He left two deep slashes in the Robot Master's body. Nameless cried out in pain again, and held one of his hands to his wounds, now bleeding furiously with blue blood. Before he could recover, TD lifted his hands and fired red lightning into him, electrocuting him thoroughly. Then Red, Bill and Diego rushed in and took turns landing several blows upon him at a time, until he seemed almost unconscious. Then Twilight and Diana fired two blasts again and knocked him to the ground with their combined power. Nameless groaned and tried to stand, but he seemed too injured to do much other than lie on the ground in pain.

Tempus walked up to Nameless, crouching beside him as Chaos magic crackled around his arms and his eyes glowed silver. Joy ascended on the ground and went towards the Nameless One as well, still holding one of his sword in his right hand just in case. TD then marched forward and grabbed the Robot Master by the neck, his hands glowing and a murderous look in his eyes.

"Try to kill me and my family!" he growled. "I'll wipe that sorry smirk of yours off your face forever!"

"Make me beg for mercy...?" Joy scoffed Nameless angrily. "Says the pathetic excuse of a warlord."

"Let's finish this," Tempus said, his right hand starting to glow as Michael stood behind him, the Pyrunians axe slapping into his palm as he called it back to his hand.

"Wait," Twilight told them. "We can't kill him. Not like this."

"Twi, I love you, but you're way too merciful," TD remarked, a vengeful gleam in his eyes.

"No, I'm with her," Diego stated. "At least in regards to you TD and maybe Joy."

"If you kill him like you are now, you'll be fulfilling what he wants to see from you," Bill added.

"A monster, like him," Red nodded.

"Even though he's evil, he deserves the justice that is due for his crimes," Tempus said, standing and backing away from Nameless.

"I see..." Joy said crossing his arms and folding his wings back, even though he didn't like this decision. TD didn't seem convinced yet, so Zach took a try.

"Dad, you told me one yourself that when an opponent is beaten and is no longer a threat, killing them only makes you a murder," he said gently. TD looked between them all, then growled and roared in anger as he fired a huge blast of magic with his fist. At first, they thought he had killed Nameless anyways, but then they realized that the only damage done was a crater in the ground and a small scar alongside the Robot Master's face. TD then forced the alien robot to look him in the eyes as his form changed to his Guardian form.

"Don't ever come near me or my family ever again," he warned in a surprisingly calm manner, his voice sounding like three voices at once. He then let Nameless fall to the ground as he backed away, his form dropping with it. Then he fell to his knees and broke down into sobs. Tempus stepped forwards, his eyes glowing bright silver.

"And don't mess with my world either, or I won't show mercy," the Guardian of Time said. TD looked down at the ground as his tears fell and Twilight trotted over to him, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing," she told him reassuringly.

"Then why does it hurt so badly still?" TD asked tearfully.

"Because he's caused you hurt through your entire life, yet you're doing what is right instead of what you want," Tempus said, his eyes flaring with a barely controlled anger as he glared at the Nameless one, before taking a deep breath.

"That'd be more than enough for you..." Joy glared at the Nameless One, before he reverted to his normal form and let himself fall to his knees, before taking a few sobs himself.

"That's it..." Joy sighed. "We finished the war..." He sobbed seemingly in sorrow as tears began to fall from his eyes. "But don't even tell me that was a victory..."

"No," TD agreed a bit softly. "The cost is too high to be cheerful about it right this moment." He glanced to his friends, unaware of the silent movement in his peripheral vision. "We have much to do back in Equestria before-"

**BANG!**

The sound of a gunshot rang out behind them and they all turned with a start to see William pointing a gun in a certain direction. While in their general direction, they had clearly not been the target he had hit. And when they turned and followed his gaze, they soon saw who it was.

Nameless was standing poised for a silent strike upon TD, a strike that never came as the sword in his hand clattered to the ground and he made a feel noises that they realized was him choking on his own blood. He stumbled backwards and fell to the ground again, vainly raising a hand towards TD as if to try and kill him even now as death took hold of him. Then he fell back and one word escaped his lips, almost unheard by all.

"Maria..."

The Nameless One's eyes glazed over and he breathed his last. William, meanwhile dropped the gun he had been holding and it disappeared in a flash.

"Your reign... is at an end..." he breathed heavily, then drew back as if horrified at his own work.

"And I guess we should be a lot more judgmental about character." Tempus said, before sighing. "I think _now_ we can safely say that the war's over."

Joy grunted in anger as he looked towards the now-dead Nameless One. "I have to say: you deserved much worst!"

TD took a breath, then released it.

"Well, now that that's taken care of... what now?" he asked.

"Perhaps I could give a suggestion," William brought up, still shaking a little; clearly, he was not used to killing things. "You and I still have an... issue to bring up with our parents. Plus, there's the people's memories to erase nearby and the landscape to fix."

"I can do the landscape," Michael offered.

"And I think I can deal with the memories," Tempus said, smirking slightly. "After all, memory is just basically a timeline in your mind."

"I can't do much about either of them..." Joy replied with a shrug, still teared up. "I'll just be going to Michael's place, waiting for you guys to do your job, until we decided to head back..."

"Actually... you guys can follow me if you want," TD stated. "They... deserve to know everything by now."

Twilight trotted over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be right beside you the whole way."

"Alright then, let's do this," William remarked. "Work your magic, folks."

"I guess I can try to wipe the people's memories subconsciously," Tempus said. "I'll come with you TD."

"Alright..." Joy gave a nod at this and looked towards William. "But you said, that humans of Earth don't like such things as magic..."

William gave a smirk. "They won't even remember after this is over. Their memories will be altered, so there's nothing to fear."

"Yeah, make the fixing landscape part fast, because here comes a crowd," Zach warned, pointing to the crowd of humans that was approaching.

"Oh boy..." Diego muttered.

"I can't go back to a lab!" Red suddenly exclaimed, running up the side of a tree.

"You're not gonna be experimented on again, Red," Bill scolded. "Now get back down here."

Michael smirked, before he crouched and slammed a hand into the ground as he barked several Pyrunian words. The ground suddenly rippled as a wave of magic shot through the air, fixing the landscape and making it look just like it had been before the whole fight that had taken place.

"Taken care of," the Pyrunian said, standing up and dusting his hands off. "What's next?"

"Now, the easy part," TD remarked. "We'll have to wait for authorities to come along for it to work fully, but first... let's go to my place."

He started to walk out of the park as if the place wasn't starting to get crowded. Already, police sirens could be heard in the distance. His family followed him without a word, while William followed after.

"This is gonna be the songle-most difficult conversation I've had yet," he muttered. Tempus walked up beside William, still in his human form.

"Well, be glad you're having it now," He said, before calling to TD. "Tell me when to do it TD! I can't judge when it's a good time."

"Just follow," TD called back. "You can fix it later."

Joy looked around the crowd of people and strange vehicles, but didn't pay much attention to them, partially because he was concerned about many things at the time.

"Hmm, these people seems so eager to know about what was happening..." Joy noticed.

"Welcome to Earth, where the unexplained and unexpected are things that are met with curiosity, fear, and wonder," William told them as they now walked down a neighborhood street. The crowd was following them now, and they could hear many people speaking aloud in wonder about the odd creatures and people following him. Michael glanced around, before in a flash his wings disappeared as he took on his human disguise.

"Never did like this planet," He muttered. "Best day was when I left it." He glanced at William with a half smile and added. "No offense mate."

"Oh none taken," William replied. "I understand what you mean."

"So, they do quiet the opposite of what a pony might do..." Joy said as he looked back to that large crowd for a brief moment.

"Don't be so sure," TD remarked. "Equestrians and humans seem to share more similarities than you would think."

"Ain't that the truth," Twilight added. At last, William stopped them in front of a house that Joy found familiar; the house he had give William the message to. He knocked on the door and waited for a moment, then it opened to show an older female human standing in the door. She was close to 40 years old.

"William, why is there a crowd following you?" she asked, and then noticed the others and her eyes widened in shock. She was soon joined by a male human in his late fifties, who was equally surprised.

"I guess I can explain this," Joy finally said from the crowd as he came forward. "I'm Joy Star, and I am a friend of your son; in fact we all are..." Joy said gesturing towards the others. "I believe you're expecting much more explanation, but sadly that can't be done right here in the open..." Joy then looked towards William and then back to his parents. "So, will you be kind enough to let us in for a while...?"

Tempus nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the crowd before turning his gaze back forwards.

"I- how- what is going on?!" William's parents demanded. "Why does he look like you? What was that sound earlier? Are you okay...?"

"Mom, Dad, CALM DOWN," TD and William both said at the same time, the one accidentally using a command spell in the process, then chuckled at that.

"Sorry," TD apologized, then let William speak.

"Mom, Dad, we need to talk. I promise, everything will be answered," he said softly. "But for now... can my friends and I enter?"

William's parents looked to each other, then finally nodded, moving out of the way and up a set of stairs right in front of the door, letting them follow.

"Well, that was simple..." Joy spoke as he followed TD and William, along with the others as they entered William's home. Tempus glanced around, before glancing at Michael as the two seemed to have a silent conversation, before the Pyrunian grunted and the Guardian of Time smirked, chuckling to himself. At the top of the steps, they found themselves in a kind of living room that opened up into a kitchen and consisted of a sofa and a chair. William had his parents sit on the sofa, while he sat in the chair, and since the sofa could fit three TD sat on it as well. The rest stood off to the side as they sat in silence. The male adult finally spoke.

"Is this from your Fanfic?" he asked aloud, making TD and William look to each other, then chuckle.

"Well... yes and no," William agreed.

"It's complicated," TD remarked.

"I ain't his," Michael muttered, as Chris let out a grunt and Tempus snorted.

"Fanfic?" Joy muttered in confusion as he looked towards the others who seemed to understand this term better.

"I'll explain later," TD told him, then looked back to them as William sighed.

"So, here's what you need to know..." William then proceeded to give a shortened version of the more important details, skipping over some of the specific details to save time and finishing with the fight earlier. Even so, it took a while before he was finished, and when he did, his parents were silent as they tried to process what he had said.

"I guess, that's a lot to take in..." Joy said, looking at the confusion on their face.

"Yeah..." they agreed.

"So, you've been putting yourself in danger all this time?" William's mom asked.

"Not me personally; TD's responsible for that part, even if he's technically me," William remarked.

TD shrugged. "Eh, I try."

"And she's real?" William's dad then asked, looking to Twilight.

"As real as you are," Twilight answered with a nod. "Twilight Sparkle, TD's wife and Princess of Friendship."

"And before you say anything, she's not the first," TD quickly added.

"Tempus, Prince of Time, Life, and Death, Guardian of Time," Tempus said. He jerked a thumb at Michael. "Michael N. Watcher, Pyrunian who can use elemental magic and is one of the greatest fighters I've ever known."

The Pyrunian rolled his eyes as he dropped his human disguise, keeping his wings folded against his back except for flaring them slightly to stretch them out.

"Well," Joy then shrugged. "I was named Zane Lumino at birth, and was sent to Equestria before my world's fall, where Princess Celestia raised as her son. among ponies I'm known as Prince Joy Star of Equestria, the son of the Solar Princess, usually." Joy shrugged. "I'm also the recent Guardian of Hope as well." He added as his eyes gave a bright golden glow before a pair of wings sprouted from his back. "Back in my world, as I have been told, I belong to a family known as Phoenix Mages."

"So... your fanfics are all real?" the mother finally asked.

"All of them, and like they said they aren't part of mine; one of them doesn't even know what a fanfic is, as he explained earlier," William noted. "Then I guess my only question is... why didn't you tell us?" the father asked. TD sighed, as well as William.

"I wanted to tell you, but I was at first afraid of how you would react," William admitted. "I also thought it would keep you safe; the less who knew about my dealings here on Earth, the better. At least... that's how I saw it."

"But... recently it put you in more danger," TD continued. "Someone was trying to get to you guys and kill you off. That's why you heard all those explosions and what not."

"We're sorry that we didn't tell you sooner," William finished. "We just... wanted to keep you safe. And if you want, we can erase your memories. You won't remember any of this, and it'll be like it never happened. But we won't force it upon you either. It's your choice."

Tempus nodded, smiling slightly. Michael also let a small smile cross his lips and Chris grinned as he leaned on his bow.

"Well?" Joy looked towards them with a look of question, as he reverted back to his normal form. There was silence for a moment longer, then finally the dad spoke.

"I don't want to have my memory erased," he said. "And personally, hearing what you've done, I'm proud of you Will. Sure, you messed up a few times, but you got back on your feet afterwards."

William smiled as the mother spoke next.

"I... guess I'm just a little shocked still, but... I'm proud too," she said. "Just... please tell us next time."

"Promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," William agreed. He then heard a siren outside and groaned. "That'd be COPD, aka the police. I guess... you guys will have to do your thing."

Tempus nodded, before he stood as he walked to a window. The Guardian of Time closed his eyes, before he began chanting in ancient Pyrunian, his hands beginning to glow bright silver as he fused his Guardian magic with the spell he was casting. The crowd outside went still and a silence fell upon them.

"What are you doing?" William's mom asked.

"Making sure they don't remember," TD replied. "Come on Twi, I wanna get back home."

"Always impatient in some manner," she muttered, following him to the door where TD then spoke to the crowd.

"Everyone, return to your homes or to whatever you were doing before the explosions," he commanded. "Also, forget this conversation ever happened." A chorus of dazed voices gave their consent. "Great," TD said. "Be safe."

Slowly, the crowd started to get smaller and smaller, but TD seemed to get impatient again.

"That's our window of time, boys!" he called.

"Sheesh! Can't let us grab a souvenir even?" Red remarked.

"Be thankful we're even here, Red," Bill chided. Michael smirked as he held up a small glass box, with what appeared to be chunks of metal inside.

"Here's your souvenir Red," he said. "One shrunken half-destryoyed Pyrunian ship. I wouldn't mind seeing if you could get her running again."

"Not going to even ask _how_ you managed to get that," Chris muttered.

Red gave a look of glee as he took it. "Don't worry, she'll start running again."

"So, let's head back to Equestria, right?" Joy sighed sadly and looked towards TD again, before looking away towards the window. Even though he wasn't showing it, but inwardly he had been broken so badly. The only thing he could think of right now was to cry out loud, while calling his beloved's name. But there was a even bigger worry on his mind as well.

 _How I will explain what happened to Bubble, to my mom,_ Joy thought while trying to compose himself with as much a struggle as possible, but still tears had began to flow on his cheeks.

"Joy, I have to explain to my Luna's twin daughters what happened to their mother and father," Tempus said as he put a hand on Joy's shoulder. "I know what you're going through."

Joy looked towards him as he began to wipe his tears.

"Sure you do..." Joy said almost sobbingly, and it was hard to tell whether he said this in sympathy or sarcasm, before looking away once again. Bill and Red noticed this, and gave each other a telepathic message.

 _"Poor kid..."_ Red commented.

 _"So broken. That wound may take a long time before it heals,"_ Bill added.

"GUYS!" TD called. "Portal is out here and ready to close!"

"Oh, stop your whining!" Twilight scolded him. "Nopony ever promised these goodbyes would be quick!"

William laughed. "I like making those two fight. Well, good luck everybody!"

Tempus and Michael rolled their eyes as they headed out, and Chris waited until they had left before chuckling.

"I can't believe they're around me all the time and haven't figured out that I'm their author," the human said, slinging his bow over his back. "Of course, that's my doing."

"Goodbye," Joy said as he gave a final look to William and his parents before he made his way down the stairs and walked through the portal as well.

"See you later William," Chris said, doing a mock salute to him. "Until next time we meet in the world of fanfiction."

"Goodbye all," Red remarked. "See ya later!"

"Adios," Bill said.

"We'll see you in the next story, William," Diego called.

"I'll look forward to it!" William called. "Later!"

TD gave a salute as he, his family, and his rogue personalities disappeared. William watched them with a smile, then sighed.

"Thank God that's done with," he breathed. "Now then... I got to get back to finishing their story..."

* * *

 **Finally! This chapter is done and I can move on to the next parts with my friends!**

 **I hope you've enjoyed so far!**


	12. The Aftermath

**Finally... I have not updated this story for TOO long! And before you guys get mad at me, I have good reasons for this.**

 **First of all, my PC ran out of battery power and won't recharge. According to a tutorial on YouTube, this means that either my charging cord needs to be replaced, or my battery is a bit wonky. It's probably the latter, since I kept it plugged in a lot even when it was at full battery (like an idiot). And since I cannot afford either currently, that means I need to get up off my lazy bum and find a job for once.** **Secondly, the school spring semester has started up again. I don't think that needs any further clarification, so I'll leave it at that.**

 **I understand that it may seem at times like I've abandoned my works, but I assure you I have not. They'll simply be _majorly_ delayed at the most. Until then, please enjoy what I can post and be patient please. All good things come to those who wait...**

* * *

The fighting had finally come to an end. The Nameless One's forces had all been defeated and what little remained were either hunted down or (if they were humans) imprisoned to be put on trial in the future. To the Equestrians, it finally looked like a lasting peace was coming to their planet.

But for TD and his friends, they figured that this could possibly only be the beginning of fights to come. And it didn't look good. So TD had gathered them all together to discuss matters in the meeting room of Canterlot that he had established almost twenty years ago. And as usual, he had increased its size to accommodate everyone present.

"Order in the court, please!" TD ordered, slamming a hammer, or whatever those things are called, on his end of the table.

(Gavel. I only just found that out AFTER this scene was posted. RIP)

"Hey, you stole my line!" Red complained from his end. Tempus rolled his eyes as he sat in his spot, his dark personality sitting to his right while to his left sat the Crystal Shard of his world. The Alicorn had decided that she would be the only member of Task Force Omega present for the meeting, due to how well she had taken charge during his absence.

"This isn't a court TD," he said. "Just get on with it and stop goofing around."

"Here here!" Chuck called, nodding his head.

"Alright everyone simmer down now," Blade said, while Onyx just shook his head. Joy looked around towards everyone who were present there at that time, and then looked back at TD.

"So, what's the situation now?" he asked getting to the point. "What's your proposal to prevent such havoc in future?"

TD gave a sigh. "I've been thinking about this, and I happen to know a bit of a spell that can work to stop, but it comes at a bit of a price. I suggest... a ban or restriction on inter-dimensional travel."

"Say wha?" Red suddenly looked over at TD with a serious expression.

"The idea is that, with the spell active, no one can enter or leave their world and end up in another's without the express permission of that world's Guardian. For each world, that may vary. I, for example, represent this world's Guardian, Joy represents his world along with his mother, Tia, and Tempus his world. You can do the math from there. It can keep enemies out of our worlds for as long as it's active, but we won't be allowed to jump between worlds so easily like before." He stood up a bit and then added, "If you have something against this or if you'd like to say something regarding this decision, say it now please."

"What you're essentially suggesting is a border wall?" Chuck arched his brow. "Gee, haven't heard that one before," he said sarcastically.

"Hm... What if Soublade needs me if there's something wrong with the dimensions; is that okay TD?" Blade asked.

Virin then asked TD, "So, that means I can't come and visit this universe or its world with Discord's help again?"

Tempus glanced at his dark personality, and the two seemed to be having a conversation mentally. The Guardian of Time then turned to his Crystal Shard, and the two began talking to each other in muted tones so nobody could hear them. After a few minutes, the unicorn commander of Task Force Omega nodded, and Tempus looked at TD again.

"I can agree with that," he said. "We'll have to tell Chris he can't use his technology to jump between worlds, as well as inform those from my world who can jump between worlds, but otherwise there is nothing I have against it."

"A ban?" Joy asked with some surprise, "It doesn't seem like a bad idea," he said thoughtfully and then asked, "But, is this really the best idea we can come up with?"

"Everyone, slow down please. I can't process all your authors' responses at once..." TD pulled out some paper, read something off it, then looked back to his friends. "In the order that I heard them... Border wall my boot, Chuck; it's a protective field. If Soulblade needs help and it's an emergency, you can override it. No, Discord will not be able to send you back here on his own, Virin. That's good to hear Tempus. And as far as I know Joy, it is the best idea I can come up with."

"Did you consider the possibility that this... essentially quarantining concept will do little more than spread unneeded fear and paranoia of the unknown?" Chuck remarked. "Because in all honesty that's the only thing I can see coming of this."

"Chuck, they were scared of the unknown even before this," TD argued.

"Actually... I'm with him on this one," Red suddenly spoke up, looking very serious; something not seen too often with him. "You can't just lock us up like that. I say, this is a stupid idea and completely absurd."

"At least I can count on Red for thinking with a sense of rationality," Chuck mumbled beneath his breath.

"My world will finally be able to have some peace if we do this!" Tempus snapped. "My world got invaded by villains from another world a while back! This will give us the chance to finally recover from the losses fully. TD, you have my full support on this."

"What if," Virin began, "...there might be another Tournament of Power in my dimension? Can I still be able to enter it for strength and prowess, to test myself against my universe's strongest?"

"Well my home world is still at peace. That's because I use an Anti-Portal Field in my universe." Everyone just stared at Blade. "What?" he asked.

"Virin, if you have a tournament, then you'll have to think of it as a security checkpoint they have to go through. Otherwise, knock yourself out," TD remarked.

"I'm down for it," Diego remarked, then added, "But only because things in Remnant are getting to the point where I have to focus on the problems there for the time being. If it wasn't the case, I'd be against it like there's no tomorrow."

"Thanks... I guess?" TD shrugged. "At least one of my personalities agrees."

"And what if one doesn't?" Red demanded.

"You're entitled to your own opinion, but ultimately the choice is not yours to make," TD remarked. "That much became obvious when I said who's in charge of keeping people in and out of their universes."

Joy took a deep sigh as he thought of his beloved once again, and felt the urge to cry once again, but he kept himself composed for the sake of this meeting. The only thing Joy wanted for now, was to not let his friends, family, or anypony else suffer such tragic deaths as they had suffered during this war. But could this ban really guarantee that such events would not occur in the future? At least, it seemed so.

"I agree," Joy muttered. Virin started to think in deep thought of this decision. If he want to at least enter a new tournament, then he might as well go through with this.

"Alright," he said. "I'll agree to this."

"I do not agree," Chuck said with a stoic expression. "However I do see how little my point of view matters."

 **"I agree with you William,"** Phantom said.

"Yeah, that will be good," Blade agreed.

"I don't agree either," Red snarled. "And if you put this up-"

"Not if, Red. When," TD corrected. "And I'm sorry if this interferes with your own dimensional travels, but this isn't about you-"

"I'm not doing this for me!" Red argued. "I'm doing this for others who clearly are not up for this at all!"

"Chuck's vote is not enough to sway my decision," TD stated bluntly.

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT CHUCK!" Red shouted, his voice suddenly amplified. "THIS IS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER SEE THEIR FRIENDS AGAIN IF YOU DO THIS! AND I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE WHO HAS TO BREAK IT TO A CHANGELING AND HER SPECIAL SOMEPONY THAT THEY MAY NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN!"

Joy's eyes shot up and he looked towards Red with a thoughtful, yet slightly shocked expression as he realized what he was talking about. Joy now partially regretted agreeing to this without asking or even telling this decision to his son for once.

"Aqua...?" Joy couldn't help but give a slight sob at this, as he rubbed his forehead in distress. "Sunshine... why didn't I...? No... this isn't fair to them."

Even TD now looked a bit doubtful of his decision.

"Yeah, never crossed your minds, did it?" Red snapped. "How some may be torn apart by this thing. But, no. Do your thing, by all means."

"Red..." TD started.

"No no!" Red interrupted. "Keep your little ban for all I care." He then got a steely and defiant glare on his face. "But as of now... you have an inter-dimensional criminal on your hands."

Without another word, Red shot out of the room, despite TD calling for him to come back. When that proved futile, TD looked to his remaining personalities, who were silent for the most part, until Bill spoke up.

"TD, my job is self-explanatory by my title alone: Guardian of Mobius," he stated. "Normally, I'm not supposed to care about the welfare of any other world except for my own. But even I can agree... this. Is. Too. Far. Your ban passes in my world, but let it be known that I may not enforce it."

The fox sighed and jumped down from his seat, and then slowly walked out of the room without another word.

"A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean," Chuck said as he stood up. "Fare thee well, William."

With that, he too was gone. TD watched him go, then gave a sigh and placed his face in his hands, not even hearing the others make their own agreements or disagreements.

 _Oh, who am I kidding? It helps some, but it hinders others,_ he thought to himself. _I may be making the wrong call... but it's all part of a bigger picture. To kill two birds with one stone. Especially since it involves an old friend..._

* * *

 **-Flashback-**

 _TD sat in a circle made by many different glyphs and symbols on the floor, each of them glowing red and pulsating with power. They all were of different languages combined: Egyptian hieroglyphics, Elven runes, runes in the Black Speech, Dragon runes, and various other glyphs. The spell he was conducting would be highly restricted and not considered legal, but TD was willing to make that risk. Due to how much power and space he needed, TD had used his chaos magic to alter the interior's size beyond it's normal levels and had now made it big enough to fit several creatures of immense size, such as giants. He was now chanting as the spell went underway. He was so close..._

 _Without any warning, a female voice split the air, sharp and crisp, with an undertone of firmness._

 _"What are you doing Chaos?"_

 _"Gah!" TD (or Chaos, as he was known then by) fell over on his back, his concentration on the spell being broken. From his position on the floor, he gave her a relieved look._

 _"Jules! Don't scare me like that," he pleaded. "My poor heart is still recovering from that Land Serpent attack."_

 _Jules crossed her arms over her chest, her emerald-green eyes narrowing at him. She was wearing what she usually wore: jeans, a white T-shirt, white sneakers, and a light blue jacket. Her waist-length brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail today. By her side, her sword hung in it's sheath, the slightest bit of light escaping from where the hilt touched the top; the only indicator of the blade's brilliant radiance when it was drawn._

 _"I'll ask you again Chaos," Jules said, her voice coming in measured tones that hid her emotions, something she excelled at. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Oh! Working on a new spell," Chaos replied, standing to his feet. "Should it work... I'll be able to jump between worlds with little to no energy consumption. Might come in handy someday."_

 _Jules's eyes narrowed even farther, and one of her hands clenched, before relaxing._

 _"And why does this spell seem to have such a sinister feeling?" she asked, her voice still hiding what she was feeling._

 _"Sinister?" Chaos gave her a confused look. "Jules, I just- I thought it'd be neat! You know how much I just love breaking the rules of reality. It's kinda my thing." As he spoke, he broke off a hunk of the floor somehow with one pull, which resealed itself in a flash. He then took a bite of it and smiled. "Mm! Chocolate cake! Want some?"_

 _"Don't try to play dumb with me Chaos," Jules snapped. "I'm the Guardian of Order. I sensed an imbalance between good and evil around here, which is why I came. So, stop trying to avoid my question and answer it."_

 _Chaos gave her a look, then chuckled._

 _"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "I'm trying to do a spell, hoping it works, so I can do what I plan to do. Something I should have done with these powers long ago." Red flames appeared in his hand for a moment before snuffing them out with another chuckle. "I always did wonder what it was like to be a villain. They've always had some kind of appeal to me. Better theme songs, brilliant mast plans, ambitious goals... How can ya not like the guys?"_

 _"Because they cause me a whole lot of pain with trying to shift the balance of good and evil," Jules said, her hand instantly dropping to the hilt of her sword as she summoned her armor, which formed around her immediately, the white gold glowing with a soft radiance of white light. "I don't want to fight you Chaos. Consider your next move wisely."_

 _"Fight me, Jules?" Chaos cackled, then gave her a daring look. "You ain't got the nerve to fight me."_

 _Jules didn't answer verbally, instead drawing her sword. The blade's blinding radiance flooded the area around her with white light as she spun it by her side in a tight arc._

 _"Try me," she finally said, her voice steely and sharp. Chaos's confidence turned to surprise at her remark, then he seemed to sigh in defeat._

 _"Fine..." he said and walked forwards a few steps, before suddenly smirking and saying, "Prove it!"_

 _A glowing red fist slammed into her and sent her flying through the door, shattering it completely and flinging her into the halls behind it. Jules climbed to her feet, before growling as she charged, seeming to fly across the ground as she covered the distance between her and Chaos, yelling a defiant battle cry as her sword sliced through the air, the blindingly bright blade headed at Chaos's head. Chaos's eyes widened in surprise, barely conjuring up a shield in time to avoid her attack, then expanding it to push her back. Jules knew why he did this though; Chaos had always preferred ranged over physical attacks. Getting in close would eliminate one of his advantages and force him to fight on her turf._

 _Sadly, Chaos knew this too, and was planning to keep it in his favor for as long as possible. With a cackle, he made a flick with his wrist and the walls around her suddenly shot towards her quickly, attempting to crush her. Jules sighed as with a flick of her wrist the walls returned to their normal locations, Chaos's attack completely negated._

 _"Typical of you Jules," Chaos chuckled. "Can't let a guy have his fun, can you?"_

 _"Not when you're upsetting the balance," Jules snapped, before she fired a blast of her Guardian power at him, the energy focusing into a spear-like shape as it flew through the air. Chaos chuckled again, clearly enjoying the fight. With a blink of his eyes, the spear disintegrated into nothing and he gave her a taunt._

 _"Come on then. Show me what you've got," he challenged. "Or shall we continue the game of canceling one another's abilities?"_

 _Jules narrowed her eyes, before her form shone with white light as she turned into her Guardian form, which was a giant white-furred wolf with silver eyes. Her fur shone with power, and with a snarl she fired a blast of her full Guardian power at Chaos. Chaos snarled and fired his own Guardian power at her, transforming into his own part way: a dark dragon creature with red eyes. Their blasts collided midway and created a massive explosion between them, throwing both backwards a few feet. Jules landed on her feet and immediately raced forwards, her silver eyes glowing as she howled, energy swirling through her fur as she started an endless barrage of attacks on Chaos, not holding back anything. Chaos fought back as hard as he could, but it was clear he too was giving it his all. They were just too evenly matched, balanced in power like they should be. As such, the fight was virtually pointless. But he would not give up. Not when he was so close..._

 _"What's going on here?" another female's voice demanded, more timid sounding than Jules's, and they both turned to see three more figures in the room; a female human with purple eyes and a violet flowing dress, a wizened old man with a robe that had several clocks and watches stitched into the patterns, and another male wearing a suit of armor like he was some kind of Medieval knight._

 _"Rogue Guardian!" Jules yelled as she blocked one of Chaos's attacks, responding with a blast of power._

 _"Rogue Guardian?" the female, Mercy, was confused. "There's no such thing!"_

 _"It would seem there is now," the elderly one, Time, remarked._

 _"Forsooth! We must rush to her aid!" the knight, Chivalry, announced. Jules rolled her eyes, before letting out a loud howl as she sent another beam of her full Guardian power at Chaos, hoping to actually do some damage._

 _Chaos, however, teleported out of the way this time and tried something risky; he appeared right next to her and struck with a glowing red fist. Seeing this, Chivalry started to rush forward._

 _"Wait!" Time called to him. "Chivalry, stop!"_

 _But the knight paid no heed as he continued forward. Jules blocked the attack and without pausing changed out of her Guardian form and swung her sword, the hilt leading her attack as she smashed it into Chaos's shoulder, before reversing her grip and swinging her sword blade at him. Chaos gave a cry of pain, and as such was too distracted from this to see the sword blade coming. It hit him in his neck and he gasped, gripping at it and pulling it out desperately as blood trickled down. All of the other Guardians stopped in their tracks with horror at what they had seen, including Chivalry. Chaos, however, still had time to taunt her as he fell back on the ground._

 _"Never... took ya for... a rule-breaker... Jules..." he managed, then seemingly laid back and breathed his last. Jules narrowed her eyes as she flicked the blood off the blade of her sword, which still shone brilliantly._

 _"Nobody approaches him," she snapped, glancing at the other three Guardians. "I don't believe that one with magic like his could be brought down like that so easily."_

 _Her tone was once again measured, hiding whatever she may have been feeling at the moment._

 _"Order, what did you do?" Mercy cried. As the Guardian of Mercy, she obviously didn't like killing things, and this shocked her to no end. On top of that, Jules had unintentionally broken one of the most sacred laws of their order: never kill a fellow Guardian. Jules raised her gaze to look Mercy right in the eyes, her emerald green eyes glinting dangerously._

 _"I did what I had to keep order in balance," she said flatly, sheathing her sword and cutting off its blinding light. "You can hate me for it all you like, I'm just doing my job."_

 _She turned and walked away from Chaos's body, her back to the other three Guardians. As she did, Time got a look in his eyes that warned of danger. He fired a blast of energy at Chaos's body... only to have it disappear in a flash. An evil laugh rang out and they looked around for him._

 _"I guess... he wasn't dead?" Mercy said with a timid tone._

 _"He's beyond my sight," Time muttered. "I can't detect where he is, not even with future sight."_

 _Jules drew her sword, glancing around her warily as she used her magic to search for him._

 _"I can't see him either," she growled, her eyes darting from one place to another. "Everyone be on alert."_

 _The air went unbearably silent, then at last something caught their eye: a beam of power going straight for Mercy. She wasn't the more powerful Guardian, so such a blast would surely kill her. Mercy was frozen with fear and unable to move as it barreled closer. At the last second, however, Chivalry rushed in front of her, and placed up a shield trying to protect her. A noble deed, but he had miscalculated the power Chaos had put into that blast. In just a second, even as the others turned to try and attack Chaos, the beam broke through the shield and stuck Chivalry, enveloping him in light. An unearthly scream came from his body, and when the light cleared all that was left was a charred suit of armor, with nothing inside of it._

 _"CHIVALRY!" Mercy cried, dropping to her knees and breaking down into tears over the fallen Guardian's remains. Jules let out a growl, before she slammed the end of her sword into the ground, the tip piercing the floor as she sent a shockwave of her Guardian magic searing through the air, formulating it to not effect Mercy or Time, only Chaos. A yelp was heard, but as it rang out, they all suddenly felt something that filled them with dread. Even for everyone else was not a Guardian of Order, they knew what it meant._

 _"Jules..." Time said to her with a grave tone. "The balance... has shifted..."_

 _"I know," Jules grunted. "I can feel it. And I don't like it!" The last part came out as a scream as she flooded the area around her with her magic, pulling her sword out of the ground as the blade shone with blinding light._

 _"The balance has shifted?!" Chaos's voice rang out, then with a laugh he appeared before them in a burst of fire. "Yes! YES! It's happened! It's finally happened! Thanks to Chivalry, I am now the strongest being in all of Existence!"_

 _Jules took a heavy breath, before closing her eyes as she began to take deep breaths, calming herself as the power around her began to increase._

 _"Order I control, and order I embrace," she said calmly, before opening her eyes and releasing a beam of magic at Chaos. Chaos gave a smirk, and then a shield appeared in front of him, blocking her attack and surprisingly holding out against it. No longer was it evenly matched._

 _"Aw, what's wrong Jules?" Chaos taunted. "Lost your spark?"_

 _Jules narrowed her eyes, before slicing the air with her sword, a flash of light engulfing her. When it cleared, the Guardian of Order was nowhere to be seen. Chaos looked around and chuckled, then started to walk back into his room._

 _"Chaos!" Time called, but Chaos flicked his wrist and sent the old man flying._

 _"Not now, Time. I have a date with destiny," Chaos chuckled, then walked back over to his circle of runes and began chanting once more. The air suddenly began to swirl with power right above him, before Jules materialized above him, the Guardian of Order firing a beam of energy from her sword. This attack however, wasn't directed at Chaos, but instead was her entire power concentrated into a beam the width of her sword, directed at the runes composing the circle. Chaos, realizing this, snapped his fingers- or pretended to- and a clone of himself appeared and deflected the blow._

 _"You can't beat me, Jules," the clone taunted. "I will get what I've wanted for so long. Nameless was right about one thing; chaos is a power I should have taken advantage of long ago!"_

 _Jules frowned, before she landed._

 _"One day, the balance shall be restored," she said as her sword's blade began to glow. "Until that day, as long as you threaten the order, you shall not defeat me, nor tip the scale in your favor without there being some event that cancels out your victory. Search for me all you like, for you will never find me!"_

 _With that said, she sliced the air with her sword again as a blast of white flames engulfed her. When the fire died down, the only indicator the Guardian of Order had been there was the engraved symbol of a pair of balanced scales on the floor where she had been standing, glowing with white light. Chaos chuckled, as right then the spell was complete, filling him with a newfound energy. His clone disappeared and he tested his power. With little energy consumed by doing so, a portal suddenly appeared, and he gave a laugh._

 _"It worked!" he grinned, then looked back to where he knew the other Guardians would be arriving soon. "Chaos is no more. From this day forward, all Existence will know me by a different name. I will terrorize all dimensions until I get what I desire." He pondered this. "Say... that's not a bad name... Be prepared, for I am the darkest of days come to blacken the sky, the worst of nightmares to haunt your dreams, and the darkness that will not be extinguished. I. Am. The Terror of Dimensions!"_

 _He gave one last chuckle, and then walked backwards into the portal, having it close behind him as he did, smirking wickedly all the while..._

* * *

 **-Present Day, Equestria-**

TD sighed sadly as he recollected that terrible day. The day he first became the Terror of Dimensions and betrayed his friends. Especially the one who had trusted him the most.

"I was such a fool..." he whispered with emotion cracking his voice, too low for anyone to hear him. Her voice played itself in his mind over and over again.

 _"...Search for me all you like, for you will never find me!"_

TD looked up at the meeting room where the verdicts and possible arguments were being made still.

"I know you said it's pointless... but I'll keep trying anyways," he said to himself softly. "I WILL find you again, Jules... and when I do, it won't be as an enemy, but as a friend again. A friend in need of forgiveness... and atonement..."

* * *

"This is not right," Red angrily said aloud as he sped across the lands of Equestria, not once stopping for a moment's notice. All he wanted was to get as far from TD as he physically could. Red had a few reasons why he was running; it helped to clear his mind, it provided an excuse to explore areas he hadn't explored yet... and it kept him from rushing over to TD and punching him in the face. It wasn't just Aqua and Sunshine that Red was feeling angry about the ban for, but for the worlds that would be affected by it. Red had been created in an environment that, despite even the smallest efforts to make it feel homey, had always been a prison for him. Hearing TD make the decision he did made the artificial hedgehog feel that the chaotic entity had finally succumbed and was turning into the very thing Red had vowed to destroy since he first broke out of the lab he had been trained and engineered in.

He sighed at the thought. He would wait for a while longer before making that decision. Even if he had plans for whenever any of his friends or family ever turned on him, Red always felt guilty keeping it hidden from them or even to think of using it on them, and rightly so. He shouldn't think in such a way about those he trusted, but some twisted broken part of his mind kept that tradition alive from age to age, always making him question his sanity. He knew his mind was broken and would probably remain so for the rest of his life... but how broken was it? How long before it made him become something he was not? Before it destroyed him mentally?

Red's pace slowed to a walk when he heard something up ahead from a forest of some kind, something only his unnaturally high senses could have picked up: a child's cries. He quickened his pace to a jog and entered the forest, following the direction of the cries.

"Hello?" he called out. "Hello?"

The cries stopped, then a small voice answered, "Dad? I- is that you? I'm scared..."

"Just hang tight! I'll come to you!" Red called, heading in the direction of the child's voice. After about a minute, he saw the child in question huddled beneath a tree, and it made him feel all the more confused. The child was a female Kirin foal, something he had never seen before in his life. Her coat was a lovely summer-yellow, her lion-like mane and the end of her tail were a sky-blue color, and her eyes were a vibrant green. She didn't seem to have much of an antler-like horn yet; just a tiny stump barely visible in her mane. The Kirin looked up at him with some amazement and also some fear, so the hedgehog held out his hands in a friendly manner and approached her slowly.

"Easy, little one," he said gently. "I'm not gonna hurt you. What are you doing so far from the Peaks of Perils?"

"I- I can't remember..." the foal answered him timidly. "I- Mommy and Daddy- why did they not come for me? Where are they?"

Red went silent as he pondered this, then subtly tried to read the Kirin's mind. But all he got were some broken and vague memories that didn't give him much information on how she got there. The only thing that did seem clear was that her parents had either died or were well-beyond their reach at this time.

 _She must be suffering from amnesia,_ he realized. _The poor thing... I can't leave her here like this._

"Hey, don't cry," Red said to her as he knelt before her and wiped some tears away gently. "It's gonna be okay. I'll look after you. I promise."

The Kirin looked up at him with a questioning expression. "You will?"

"Of course," Red nodded. "No one deserves to be left alone, especially you." He then asked, "Why don't you tell me your name, little one?"

"S- Summer Melody," the Kirin answered, managing a small smile. "Do... you have a name?"

Red smiled warmly. "They call me Red. Red the Hedgehog. It's not the best name, but it's one I've grown attached to."

Summer smiled a little wider, then she asked him, "Are... you like my new dad now?"

Red's heart skipped a beat at this notion, even though he knew what his answer was from the start; the decision had been made the moment he knew about her condition.

"Yeah... I guess I am," he replied. The Kirin nodded to imply that she understood, then she gave him a small hug which he gently returned as a familiar feeling welled up inside of him; a feeling he had first felt when Serena had been born.

 _I think you'll fit right in, little Summer,_ he thought to himself as he gently lifted her off the ground and held her close as he left the forest at a leisurely walking pace, the Kirin filly nuzzling up close to him in the process. TD may have wanted to keep Red from traveling between worlds, but before he left he'd make sure that someone that deserved some care was given a new home. He may not have been the best of parents, but he could not in good conscience leave Summer out here to fend for herself, and Sonata and Serena both would certainly love the newest addition to their family.

Besides, she clearly didn't have anywhere else to go, and why turn down an opportunity to show an act of kindness to another?

* * *

Sunshine stared out from the Canterlot Palace's balcony, looking to the sun out on the horizon. With a glow from her horn, the sun slowly set below the horizon and made way for her Aunt Luna's stars and moon. It was a beautiful sight as always, but it also was a painful reminder to her about what tomorrow would bring; the start of the goodbyes. Aqua would have to return to his own world, and she could not follow. She had her mother's responsibility now, and when she came of age, she'd have the royal duties too. Plus, both were still too young to try and stay in the other's world, unlike Mortem and Sunny who were both old enough to make that decision themselves. It made the Changeling lower her head in disappointment as she reentered the throne room and climbed up onto one of the walls until she was on the ceiling, not really caring where she was at the moment.

Red had dropped the bomb on her and Aqua unexpectedly that afternoon before rushing off to cool off, and needless to say it broke their hearts. Sunshine especially felt sorrowful over this detail, for she knew that it would have happened sooner or later anyways. She could not abandon her world now that Celestia was gone; Equestria still needed a Solar Princess, and like it or not she had to stay and play her part when the time came. In that regard, she could forgive her uncle TD, and perhaps she still could in time; but for now, all she felt was some anger and disbelief in his choice.

Sunshine's mind fell back to some of the short, but beautiful moments she and Aqua had shared during their time together, then to the realization that it was all being taken from them just as quickly as they had found it. And unlike Aqua's big sister Sunny or Tempus's son Mortem, she wouldn't be able to follow him; she'd have to wait for however long it took for the ban to be lifted, and for all she knew it would stay up well past her lifetime. The thought made her eight eyes fill with tears.

And in the quietness of the throne room, the Changeling wept over the unfairness dealt to her and her lover by the universe.

 **Meanwhile...**

"It's not fair..." Aqua sobbed as he was heading towards the throne room. "Mommy... passed away, and now- now I have to leave her too... It's so not fair..."

When he entered the now-darkened room, he could hear almost silent sniffles of sadness from above his head, towards the ceiling. As if to confirm what he was hearing, a few drops of water- no, tears- splashed on his head and the end of his muzzle from above as a quiet sob was heard right after. Looking above towards the ceiling he noticed a little bit of light shining off from a rainbow colored figure. Aqua didn't need to look twice to recognize her. A sob escaped his breath as he called to her.

"Sunshine...?"

The sobs momentarily ceased and eight red glowing orbs suddenly appeared as Sunshine looked down at him, slowly turning her head at a 180 to get a better look. For most, a bit of a disturbing scene, but for the two of them their own current state of sorrow didn't allow for any such thought to ring in their heads.

"Aqua..." she answered, then he heard another tear hit the floor beside him.

"Sunshine... you're crying?" Aqua asked and couldn't help but sob himself as well.

"It- it's just not fair!" she remarked tearfully. "Tomorrow you have to go back home to your world and... I have to stay behind! It's not fair!"

"I know that it's not fair..." Aqua let himself cry without holding back. "I... don't wanna return, and leave you..."

"And I don't want... to stay and let you go..." Sunshine bawled, her tears now falling a little faster this time.

"Sunshine..." Aqua sobbed. "Can you... come down from the ceiling... so I could see you more clearly...?"

Sunshine gave a nod as her head turned until it was back on straight and she walked down to where the wall met the ceiling and walked down it until she was almost at floor level while still on the wall itself. Her eyes turned to him, all eight focused on the unicorn before her. Aqua trotted towards her and sobbed once again as he made a sad squeal.

"I'm gonna miss you, Sunshine..." he said. She finally climbed off the wall and gave him a big hug.

"And I'm gonna miss you too Aqua... so very much..." she told him, feeling an almost inaudible hum escape her as if triggered by the hug itself.

"I'm gonna miss looking at your lovely face... feeling your beautiful hums,... and I'm gonna miss waiting for time to raise the sun so I could sit beside you... I'm gonna miss you badly... after all you're such a friend I never had before..." Aqua let out whatever came to his mind right then as he hugged Sunshine even more tightly.

"I'll miss the sound of your voice... the kindness you've shown to me... and simply being a companion to me during this time," she cried, hugging him back just as tightly. "You're the best friend I could have ever asked for... and more than that... I'm gonna miss you every second you're away..."

"I don't even know how I will hold myself together... when you're away, I- I've never felt so weak... and helpless before..." Aqua cried in response. The Changeling seemed unable to reply for the moment, as she started to cry some more. Sunshine was feeling both their sorrow and pain flowing through them like a dam that had burst apart and was overwhelming them with emotion. As such, she could not find any words to speak. Aqua just continued to sob as well then without saying a word. This was really a moment of intense sadness for them, and none of them wanted to let go of each other from the embrace in which they felt the comfort, care, and love for each other altogether. Eventually, the sobs soon subsided as they ran out of tears to cry, but still they refused to let go of each other even then.

"Aqua..." Sunshine began. "Can you promise me something?"

"Yes, anything..." Aqua replied as he ceased to sob for a moment. "If you ask, I'll even stay here... no matter what my dad says..."

"Then... promise me that no matter how long it takes... you'll wait for me..." she pleaded. "I promise I will do the same. Can you promise me that?"

Aqua was paused for a slight moment... before he raised his hoof and placed this on his chest, as he began to do a gesture that was very familiar to both of them.

"Cross my heart... hope to fly... stick a cupcake in my eye."

Sunshine managed a small smile, then repeated the gesture as she made the promise herself. "I promise the same. Cross my heart and hope to fly... stick a cupcake in my eye."

Aqua smiled slightly as well, and stared into her eyes once more as he brought himself closer to her for an affectionate nuzzle. Sunshine returned the nuzzling, her purr-like humming sounding off when she did, as she once more felt their love shared between them and the comfort of being close to the one she loved with all her heart. Aqua then brought himself even closer as he raised his muzzle slightly to change that nuzzle into an affectionate kiss. Sunshine returned his kiss hungrily, which was fitting for a creature that fed off love, but it was also out of a sense of trying to have as much of him as she could get while their moment still lasted. She wanted to prolong this for as long as she could, savoring it for as long as it could possibly last.

Aqua didn't want this to end either; if anything he deepened the kiss even more... as for one last time, he wanted to spend these moments as close to her as possible. They were so close to each other, both could practically hear their heartbeats together as well as feel them, each beating in rhythm with the other just as Sunshine's hums were in rhythm with the two of them during their moment of passion. Like two parts of one whole, made for each other. The words from all the languages in the world wouldn't be enough to describe how they were feeling right then. This was something one could only feel in such moments, but could not express in words. But neither of them needed any fancy words at the moment to describe how they were feeling right at that moment.

It was only when the need for air became too much to ignore that they finally pulled away, taking a few breaths while still staring into each other's eyes. It took some time before their breaths returned to their normal rate again. They could see the blushes on each other's muzzles, and they were still close enough to feel each other's breath and heart beat, still in a rhythm with Sunshine's blissful humming sounds. Sunshine was the first to return to the kiss, this time with a deeper passion than before as her hums started to come a little faster than before. Aqua welcomed this rather quickly and returned the kiss with equal passion and affection, letting himself lost once again in the sweetness of her hums and the comfort of their embrace. Eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity for them, they finally pulled apart once more, albeit reluctantly as they continued to keep within their embrace.

"Everypony's going to sleep now it seems," Sunshine remarked, one of her eyes looking to the night sky outside as she spoke.

"Mmhmm," Aqua gave a nod as a small yawn escaped his breath. Sunshine looked back to him.

"You know... you could sleep with me," she said, then added hastily, "Not in that way, but... we could snuggle."

Even the mention of that seemed to make her blush. Aqua looked at her for a second before giggling in somewhat understanding.

"Sure..." He said, tilting his head to the side. Sunshine giggled herself, then released him as she started trotting towards one of the doors.

"Come on, my room's this way," she said, leading the way.

"Alright..." Aqua said as he trotted right after her. She led him through some of the halls to a room that was close to Celestia's old room. The interiors were, surprisingly, not as lavish as one would expect from royalty; save for the large bed and its blankets, everything else in Sunshine's room looked... normal. The Changeling evidently didn't care too much for decorations, which was somewhat understandable for her kind. A smile came upon Aqua's face as he looked around in the room. There was something which he liked about this room. Then another yawn was made by him as he smiled slightly, indicating that he was more sleepy than he realized.

"Come on sleepyhead," Sunshine chuckled as she climbed into the bed herself. "Let's put you to bed."

Aqua gave a small giggle as he heard this and passed her a nod.

"Right," he said and climbed into bed beside her. Sunshine snuggled up close to him and a yawn of her own escaped her, followed by a low and soft humming sound.

"Goodnight... my special somepony..." she whispered as she started nuzzling him while already half-asleep.

"Goodnight to you too... my special somepony..." Aqua whispered in reply as he nuzzled her back in same half-asleep manner. It wasn't long before the two of them were fully asleep, snuggled closely to each other throughout the entire night. Sunshine's hums could still be herd long after she was asleep, purring in rhythm with their snores.

* * *

 **The reason I was even able to get this in as soon as I did is because we managed to get more than halfway on the chapter, but then things crawled almost to a still due to the holidays and all the other stuff. But I keep rolling along! I will not give up, my friends!**

 **Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned; you never know when I may post again!**


	13. Goodbyes

**This is where the goodbyes begin! It's a bit saddening, but it has been quite a ride!**

 **After this comes the epilogues of the main OC's shown by my friends! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Twilight gave a loud sigh as she trotted into the Castle of Friendship and up into her bedroom, flopping upon her bed as soon as she entered. It was finally over. The war was won. But there was still much to do, and TD's ban would undoubtedly cause more problems to arise, even if unintentional. Yet another task would be given to the Princess of Friendship now; to guide her husband through this crisis and if possible help in lessening or even destroying the ban's influence over time. She wasn't sure how long that would take, but Twilight was not one to give up too easily, at least not since meeting TD. Besides, she was an alicorn. She had all of eternity to work.

A new and saddening thought came to her because of that. She may have had all of eternity, but her friends didn't. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer... even Pinkie Pie, despite her Royal Changeling status, eventually would pass away. Only Fluttershy, because of her choice to stay with Discord, would remain. And Twilight herself had to stay with TD, for while her husband was technically not immortal himself, he would still live long enough to perhaps outlive even Twilight herself when Equus eventually ended. He would never leave her. But her friends...

The scope of this realization caused her to shed a few silent tears. She would miss them all very much when that time came, and she would make sure that their memories would live on forever.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a voice that Twilight recognized as Starlight's asked, "Twilight, can I come in?"

Twilight wiped her tears and sat up. "Starlight? Which one am I talking to?"

"Tempus's. I... I have something I need to talk to you about," Starlight answered. Twilight's horn glowed and the doors soon opened for the alicorn version of her former pupil, allowing her to enter. Starlight walked inside, using her own magic to close the doors before she turned and smiled at Twilight, although the Alicorn seemed slightly preoccupied about something.

"What do you need help with?" Twilight asked her.

"Well, you see..." Starlight said, rubbing her forelegs together nervously. "I'm, uhh.. I'm... I'm pregnant," she said, ducking her head slightly.

"What?" Twilight looked surprised, then joyful. "Starlight, that's wonderful!"

Starlight blushed, smiling and nodding in agreement.

"I know," she said.

"So then... why is this such a problem?" Twilight asked her, now confused.

"I, uh... I don't know how to tell Tempus..." Starlight admitted. "Because... I've been pregnant for the war, and I'm afraid of what he'll do when I tell him."

Twilight gave her a look of surprise, then chuckled.

"Well, you're not the only pony who's got to say that to your husband," she replied. Starlight stared at her in shock, her mouth opening and closing, yet nothing coming out due to how stunned she was.

"Yeah, not the smartest idea," Twilight admitted. "But... I've been told by William that I'm often too stubborn for my own good."

"Tempus has said the same thing about me a few times before," Starlight finally managed to get out, shaking her head. "So... you're also pregnant?"

Twilight nodded. "I figured out... during the days we were preparing for the attacks. Unlike Applejack, I knew for a fact that William wouldn't let me fight if he knew. So... I kept it a secret from him for the time being." She gave a small sigh. "Ironic, because I wanted to tell him. I almost did several times too. When we all thought he was dead... well, you probably understand how I felt about that."

"Yeah... I do..." Starlight said, sniffing as she remembered. "When we all though Tempus was dead, I nearly lost it because I hadn't told him... but I tried to keep myself composed for the sake of everypony else."

Twilight smiled a little. "I know it's not exactly accurate to say this in the way I am saying it... but I'm proud of you, Starlight. Managing to stay strong for everypony else... I can understand that it wasn't easy."

"Well... the only time I lost it was when you and I cried together," Starlight admitted, giggling. "Although I did cry myself to sleep when nopony was watching."

"We're not perfect," Twilight remarked, remembering something TD had once told her. "Emotions are what makes us... sapient. It proves that we do have a heart, and that we can hope for better tomorrows."

"That's true..." Starlight said, before smiling at Twilight. "So... can we tell them together? I would feel a lot better with somepony who can relate with me currently by my side."

Twilight gave this some thought, then nodded. "It would make things easier. I think it's a great idea."

Starlight gave her a grateful smile, before saying, "So... should we get it over with now, or later?"

"Whenever you feel ready," Twilight told her. "I'm fine either way. Although, before you came along, I planned to tell William when we were alone."

Starlight gave her a small, apologetic smile.

"Sorry... but I don't think I would have had the courage on my own to tell Tempus until it was to late," she admitted.

"You're fine," Twilight reassured. "I'd be happy to help out a friend."

Starlight smiled again.

"I'd kind of like to get it over with now," she said. "I've been keeping it a secret for so long... that I'd like to tell him as soon as I can."

Twilight nodded. "Let's do it then. I think they said they'd be returning soon..."

***CRASH!***

"...speak of the devil."

"Let's go see what they broke, shall we?" She asked, before breaking into a fit of giggles. Twilight giggled as well, then she opened the door and started to get down from the bed, before TD called up.

"Twi, you here?" he called. Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement, then replied.

"Yes William, I'm up here," she said, then quickly added, "And before you get any ideas, Princess Starlight's here too."

"For some reason, I feel it's either a really bad thing, or a really good thing that our wives are together right now," they both heard Tempus say.

"Take it how you will, but we have something to tell you," Twilight remarked.

"Yep. It's a bad thing," TD joked, then in a flash he and Tempus appeared in the room, the former accidentally tripping over himself when he did and barely being caught by Twilight.

"So apparently, I have shoelaces tied together in the teleporting realm," TD grumbled.

"I could've done it without tripping," Tempus muttered, causing Starlight to giggle.

"So, what have we done to be graced by your presence?" TD teased as he righted himself.

"Well... we have something we've been meaning to tell you for a while," Twilight replied.

"And we both probably have done it sooner," Starlight added. "But we both had our reasons not to."

"Okay, I am really refraining from looking into the future right now," Tempus said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"We're all ears," TD stated.

"Okay... well, you see..." Twilight started. "We're both..."

"Pregnant," Starlight finished. "We're both pregnant."

Tempus stared at Starlight, too shocked to say anything except make a squeak of surprise. TD's eyes went wide, then he said in a weak voice, "Brain resetting. One moment..."

He then fell to the ground while Twilight gave a slight glare and made water appear out of nowhere and splash on his head.

"Hey! That's cold!" TD yelped as he shot right back up, then looked to Twilight with his full attention. "You're... serious... How long?"

"That's... the complicated part," Twilight said sheepishly. "For me... the earliest I could pin it to was on our date... the day before preparations for the attack."

"And for me..." Starlight said, glancing at Tempus. "I found out a few months before we arrived here. I was just too nervous to say anything."

Tempus just opened and closed his mouth several times, before glancing at TD and saying quietly, "Please slap me to make sure I'm not hallucinating."

"You probably shouldn't ask that ever again," TD replied, managing a small smirk as he smacked Tempus across the cheek with the back of his hand. Tempus grunted as TD slapped him, before shaking his head several times.

"Yep, not hallucinating," he muttered, before looking straight at Starlight. "You mean to say you were pregnant all while we were fighting and yet you still fought!?"

Starlight let out a squeak and took a few steps backwards.

"And you too?" TD asked Twilight.

"Eh..." Twilight chuckled nervously. For a moment, they were all silent, then TD unexpectedly started laughing. Tempus stared at TD as if he had lost his mind (Which given TD's record wasn't too improbable; sorry readers and TD). After a good moment or two, TD ceased laughing and looked to Twilight with a smile.

"You crazy mare," he chuckled. "After what happened with me being 'dead' and all, I don't have the heart to be mad at you for that. I probably should be, but I'm not." He then gave her a slight glare. "But... don't EVER do that again."

Twilight smiled back. "No promises, big guy."

To which they both shared a small giggle before TD pulled her into a short hug. After a few seconds, Tempus chuckled.

"To be honest, I was just startled at first," He said. "Now though, I can just see that this makes you even tougher then I thought you were. And that's why I love you Starlight Glimmer."

Starlight blushed, before the two Alicorns hugged each other as well. After a moment, TD remarked, "Well, this is probably one of the happiest moments of my life..."

"You say that a lot," Twilight noted with a teasing giggle.

"I speak only the truth, Mrs. Sparkle," TD teased back, giving her a little boop on the nose. Starlight just sighed as she rested her head on Tempus's shoulder, and the Guardian of Time smiled.

"I can say for certain this is one of the happiest moments of my life," he said.

"I'm just gonna say something before this goes where I know it always goes- at least for me and Twi," TD suddenly spoke up. "Does anyone have any idea what's for dinner? Because I forgot to plan that since we had... well, everything else to take care of today."

"We're doomed," Twilight said sarcastically.

"Well," Tempus began. "We can always have Michael pop over to Earth and get some pizza."

"Isn't that cheating?" Starlight asked.

"Not if it's a Pyrunian," Tempus answered.

"Not to mention, I have contacts that can get us some as well," TD added.

"This time, don't order only the all-meat ones," Twilight scolded him gently.

"It was one time, Twilight. Hardly a problem," TD replied. "And you were on a diet then, so it didn't matter anyways."

"So... pizza for dinner?" Starlight said.

"Looks like it," Tempus chuckled.

"Lemme get the phone," TD said, and a phone appeared in his hands as he made a call. "Hello? Is this Cipher's Pizza Delivery?"

"No, this is the circus," a familiar, yet oddly cheery voice answered with a laugh. "But in all seriousness, what can I get ya buddy?"

"One sec," TD said, and then looked to Tempus and Starlight. "Bill Cipher from one of those parallel universes. Now reformed and opening his own pizza shop, which he runs all by himself. Surprisingly very good at it."

Tempus raised an eyebrow.

"As long as it isn't the one who helped us during the war against Herobrine, I'm fine," he said. "Knowing him, we'd have to pay with Pyrunian diamonds."

"Okay then, what kind of pizza do you guys want?" TD asked them. "Twi and I already know what we want."

Tempus and Starlight looked at each other, and in unison they said, "Cheese."

TD chuckled, then said over the phone, "The usual two, and a cheese pizza Bill."

"Be there in ten seconds!" Bill Cipher's voice said over the telephone. "And don't worry; this time, it won't be a Time Vortex."

"Better not," Twilight threatened playfully as the phone hung up.

Tempus raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know?"

"April Fool's joke he played on us once," TD explained. "He got us the real pizzas afterwards of course, because he's a nice guy."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably him," Twilight remarked, then opened it. In the doorway was what appeared to be Bill Cipher, but with a different makeover. Now, instead of the top hat and cane he usually wore, he had a cap that said "Bill-ivery" on it and a stack of three pizzas in his hands.

"Hey Cipher! It's been awhile," TD greeted warmly.

"Too true, TD," Bill Cipher agreed. "Here's the pizzas you ordered."

Tempus licked his lips as he stared at the pizza.

"He has an obsession with pizza," Starlight said, giggling.

"I figured that's why he didn't react to Cipher at the door," Twilight replied with a giggle of her own, as TD levitated the pizzas over to them.

"And here's the money," he said, throwing some Equestrian bits at him.

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Bill Cipher answered with a tip of his cap, then disappeared in a flash while TD divided the pizzas among them.

"We've got all-veggie for Twi, all-meat for me, and the cheese for you two," he said to Tempus and Starlight. "And no, Twi and I are most likely not gonna eat a full pizza by ourselves. We tend to save the leftovers for a few Diamond Dogs we know about. Nice guys."

Starlight smiled, before giggling as Tempus took a slice of pizza and began eating it.

"He's going to be busy with this pizza for a while," Starlight said as she took a slice for herself, eating it much slower then Tempus, who was almost finished with his first slice. Twilight shook her head in amusement as she took a slice of her own pizza and started to eat it too. TD was also eating a slice, but much like Tempus he seemed to be eating his faster than Twilight, though not with the same speed as the male alicorn. Tempus finished his first slice, and instead of getting a second one he glanced between Twilight and TD.

"I'd be willing when your next kid is born to give them my blessing just like I did with Evan's," The Guardian of Time said, smiling. "Only if you'd want me to do that of course."

"That'd be fine," Twilight replied.

"I'm guessing it's a girl this time," TD stated.

"How can you tell?" Twilight asked, then almost immediately added, "Oh, right. Don't answer that."

"I'd definitely be able to tell you, but I won't because I know what'll most probably happen if I do," Tempus said, smiling warily.

"Tempus, the only one Twilight would try to kill is sitting right next to her," TD giggled. Tempus just grunted.

"Translation: I'll believe it when I see it," Starlight said with a straight face.

"Aw, do I scare you?" Twilight joked.

"You scare me, that's for sure," TD remarked.

"The answer is, yes, you scare me," Tempus said flatly. "Almost as much as Starlight does."

"Enough of politics, ladies and gents," TD chuckled. "Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy ourselves."

"I can't really remember the last time I just relaxed," Tempus said as he picked up another slice of pizza.

"How about Nightmare's wedding?" Starlight remined flatly, and Tempus blinked.

"Oh, yeah. That," he said, before yelping and barely ducking a blast of energy that Starlight fired at him.

"Ladies and gents, we've struck a nerve," TD giggled. Twilight gave him a quizzical look, then smirked and looked to Starlight.

"Feel free to blast him too, as long as I can repay the favor when necessary," she offered. TD looked to her in surprise.

"Twi, don't! She's gonna abuse that power!" he pleaded.

"And for once, I'm okay with that," Twilight replied.

"Bit preoccupied right now," Starlight replied as she continued firing blasts of magic at Tempus, who either dodged them or negated them with some defensive spell. "Although a little help right now would be appreciated."

"With pleasure," Twilight answered, then started firing her own spells at Tempus, some of which were unique only for her, having learned them from TD, who was laughing at Tempus's plight.

"TD! Help please!" Tempus yelled, now having to defend himself on two fronts as his green eyes betrayed a flicker of fear.

"I would help you, but I enjoy watching you struggle too much," TD giggled.

"Thanks a lot TD," Tempus said flatly, before he narrowed his eyes and with a yell froze time in the room except for himself and TD. The Alicorn smirked. "And I'll never get tired of using my time magic before Starlight can use hers," he said, as he chuckled at the look of surprise on Starlight's face from when she had realized what Tempus was about to do.

"Just between you and me, the real reason I wouldn't help is because Twilight has become a master of what I call... multi beam spells," TD explained. "Meaning, think one beam suddenly branching off into ten more and each hitting an individual target, all without losing the amount of power put into the original. Seriously, it's like Darkseid in a pony's body sometimes."

"Well, I'm just glad I can relax now," Tempus said, taking deep breaths to catch his breath. "Seriously, even I have limits."

"Yeah, they are amazing that way," TD sighed. "Somehow pushing us to our limits." He smiled and spoke to himself. "Twi, you are the best."

"So... should I unfreeze time yet?" Tempus asked, glancing warily at the two mares.

"Um..." TD pondered. "If ya don't, they'll be even more mad. Plus... for Twi at least, I know a way to calm her down... It's risky though."

"Fine," Tempus sighed, before ending his time-freezing spell. As soon as the spell ended, Twilight took a second, then snarled.

"You did a time spell, didn't you?" she growled.

"Uh... Twi..." TD said gently.

"What?" she asked, turning around... and finding her lips connecting with his own for a few seconds before TD pulled away with a smirk. For a few seconds, Twilight simply stood there with an unreadable face, then finally she gave a smile.

"Darn you, William!" she said, and then suddenly tackled him with a longer, more passionate kiss.

 _"Worth it!"_ TD cheered telepathically. Tempus just let out a faint squeak of terror as Starlight advanced on him, her horn glowing with magic as she glared at him.

"Bye," Tempus said in a high-pitched voice, before with a crack he vanished. After a moment, Twilight pulled out of the kiss she had forced TD into and smirked, now finding herself lying on his stomach.

"You did that on purpose so only Starlight would be after him, didn't you?" she asked.

"Eh, that and I like kissing you," TD replied with a shrug.

There was a sudden flicker of black lightning that shot through the room as Tempus was tossed in front of them, and Michael's voice said, "Here's a delivery. See ya!"

The lightning vanished from the room, and Tempus just dropped his head on the ground in defeat as Starlight smirked at him.

"Okay, question... how'd we get from eating pizza to fighting and... apparently now making out?" TD asked aloud to no one in particular, chuckling at the end. "We are such weird couples..."

"I think we should just stop questioning our lives TD," Tempus said flatly. "Whenever we think we've reached the top level of craziness, we always find another level."

Starlight just rolled her eyes as she used her magic to pull Tempus over to her. Tempus braced himself, before letting out a squeak of surprise as his wife kissed him. TD and Twilight chuckled.

"That's you on Saturdays," Twilight teased.

"Mmm... no comment," TD replied. Eventually, Starlight ended the kiss, and Tempus let out a sigh.

"And that's another reason why I love you," he said to her, smiling.

"Alright, before we start to get too comfortable," TD interrupted. "One, author end scene for decency when we get there. Two, we have guest rooms if this gets... heated."

"Good word choice," Twilight said sarcastically, but she wasn't mad at him.

 _I actually think this would be a pretty good place to end the scene._

"For once, I agree with my author," Tempus said, smiling wider as he pulled Starlight into a hug.

"Starting..." TD started leaning towards Twilight for another kiss.

Now. Th-th-that's all folks! (Okay, not literally. I meant for this scene.)

* * *

Goodbyes were, understandably, very emotional for the group of friends the next day, since they all knew that for some of them, it could be the last time they'd see each other alive again. Friends from all over TD's Equestria had come to see those from other worlds off, and for some of them it was more tearful than others.

That was especially true for Flurry Heart, as she tried to hold back her sniffling as she stood in front of the Mobian fox she called her friend.

"Bill... won't you ever return to Equus again?" She asked, knowing that this might be the last time they'd see each other. "I... I will miss you."

"I will miss you too Flurry," Bill told her, not yet shedding any tears as he tried to keep himself composed in front of her. "And... for now, things can't be that way. My duty is to protect my world, and until TD's ban ends, I am bound by that duty to remain at my post."

"What if- What if I never see you again?" she asked with some fear in her voice. "What if the ban never ends... what then?" She stomped a hoof on the ground. "I hate this ban!"

"Hey..." Bill spoke in a low tone, almost a whisper. It was a trick he had tried with his friends before that made them pay close attention to him, as they wished to know what he had been saying. It worked this time with Flurry too, and she went silent as he looked the alicorn in the eyes. The tears were falling from his eyes now, but the expression he wore was both gentle and determined.

"Hear me now," he said to her. "As surely as I stand before you today, I promise you... we WILL see each other again. And when that day comes, I will never leave you again." To seal the deal, he performed her Aunt Pinkie's age-old promise afterwards. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Flurry's face beamed with joy. "Really?" she asked, grabbing him in a hug, and ceasing to sniffle. "I'm so glad to hear that..."

The fox smiled as he hugged her back, then he said jokingly, "Let's hope I don't get too old before then, so that I forget who you are when I get back."

Flurry just giggled and hugged him tighter, holding onto him for as long as she could before the inevitable occurred.

"So... do you think this is goodbye forever?" Ruby asked Pinkie Pie sadly.

"Not forever, but it will be a long time. Especially for me," the Changeling explained, keeping herself composed for the moment. She wasn't anymore prepared for the goodbyes than Ruby was, but she still managed to keep from bursting into tears; maybe being the mother to an entire hive helped in that regard.

"Well... if we ever come back, make sure to give us a big 'Welcome Back' party," Ruby said as tears started to form in her eyes.

"The biggest 'Welcome Back' party Equus has seen, and ever will see," Pinkie agreed, then they hugged each other tightly and let their tears fall.

Joy was still silent, and hadn't spoke a word since they had gotten Bubble's form out of the burial chambers of Pinkie's hive and placed her in a coffin prepared for her to be delivered back to his home. It was hard to read the expression on his face, for he was just staring at the coffin, where the transparent glass at the head side made it so he could still see her face and the peaceful smile she wore in death. The children were standing beside him, and they were also silent. Even though all three of them were saddened, only Sunny and Aqua were showing this clearly. Bold, much like his father, was silent, but still tears were flowing down his cheeks. As they stood there in silence, a soft trotting of hooves appeared and they saw Princess Luna approach them, with Sunshine on her back. The rainbow-colored Changeling was now wearing an extra accessory that she had not been wearing before; the crown of Princess Celestia. It served as a silent reminder to them that it was not just their own Equestria that had lost a beloved figure, let alone family member. Luna looked at the face of Bubble for a moment, and in her eyes sparked some admiration.

"Never before have I seen somepony so peaceful like that before," she remarked quietly. "As fearless in death as she was in life."

"I know," Joy nodded, looking at her and the little Changeling on her back, and then back to his son, Aqua, who was still feeling sad for more than one reason. "She was a great pony, a great companion, a great parent, and a great friend," he said, caressing the glass. "I couldn't be any of them... Maybe I deserve to be alone and to suffer..."

"Do not speak of such things, Joy Star," Luna scolded gently. "You still have others who love and care for you, just as much as she did. What do you think would happen to them if you were to go too? What would happen to your mother if you died as well? She'd be devastated." She placed a hoof gently on his shoulder while Sunshine jumped down from her back. "Your mother has already lost her daughter-in-law, Zane; don't make her lose her son as well."

Joy looked at her hoof, and right then if it was his Aunt Luna, he would have gently removed the hoof from his shoulder. Only standing in front of him wasn't the figure he called his aunt and the most beloved person in his life after his mother, so he couldn't bring himself to do so. But he still softly said, "No one could love me as she did... She was the only one who cared for me the way she did... and no one can replace her... No one... okay?"

"Nopony is asking you to replace her, and nopony ever can," Luna assured him.

"Everypony holds a special place in our hearts that can never be replaced," Sunshine suddenly spoke up. "Even if we learn to love again or to move on... they cannot replace those we've lost. They simply hold a different place in our heart."

Joy looked at the filly and felt a little guilty towards her. It was his mistake that the colt she loved was going away from her, and if he had not given his opinion on the matter without considering this fact, he wouldn't have felt so bad about his decision.

"Aqua... would you like to say something...?" Joy asked his son, in regards to the Changeling filly. Aqua, didn't waste a moment and pulled Sunshine into a hug, sobbing heavily. She was the only true friend he ever had and she was the one who understood what he was going through at the moment, so he wanted nothing more than to cry in her embrace. The Changeling silently hugged him back, her tears falling from her eyes even as she gently cooed the unicorn in her arms. It was still unclear how Sunshine truly felt towards Joy, knowing that he had voted for the very thing that was now keeping her and her coltfriend apart. However, in this moment currently as she whispered her final goodbyes to the pony she loved, no hatred or betrayal could be seen in her eyes as two of them turned to look at the human, the rest focused entirely on Aqua.

"I'm sorry... I have no right to separate you two, and you have every possible reason to dislike me..." Joy told her, as tears left his eyes and he used his arm to wipe them. "...But know I never intended that... I always felt like you two were just like me and my sweetheart... ones who are destined to be together, always..."

Sunshine managed a small smile. "We still are, Uncle Joy. And we will see each other again. Mom told me that if you truly love somepony, then not even death can keep you apart for long. So I will hold onto those words until the day I die."

"Sunshine... don't say that," Aqua scolded her lightly between sobs. "I don't want you to go as well... just let me hold you a little more... Let me do this for the little time we have..."

Sunshine smiled a little wider at this, and whispered, "Alright, Aqua. Hold me for as long as you'd like."

Aqua hummed a little in comfort at this, nuzzling his muzzle in her mane. Meanwhile, a short distance away, TD, Nightblade, and Onyx were having a small discussion with each other, mostly in regards to how the ban was going.

"TD... since this is my first and probably my last visit to this world, I would like to say goodbye," Onyx said to the entity, who nodded and shook his hand.

"William..." Nightblade looked to TD with a saddened expression. "The whole Dimensional Blockade... I don't think that the Dimension Guardians will like that idea. Half of them have approved while the others are furious."

"They are free to apply it or not, but _my_ dimension WILL have the blockade up," TD remarked to Nightblade. "Besides, I'm a Guardian of Existence. I outrank them in both position and power, so if they have a complaint they can take it up with me personally."

Nightblade gave a sigh. "I guess you're right," he said, though he still didn't seem to like the idea.

"TD..." Onyx spoke up. "I should warn you, my Grimm are still scattered all over Equestria. I know that the Grimm are monsters, but mine are harmless and have evolved from their hostile ways."

"Thanks for the warning, Onyx," TD nodded in acknowledgement. "If possible, I will have them returned to you. Otherwise, I shall inform the Equestrians that they are not a threat to them as they show up."

"But that's not all..." Onyx ordered the Alpha to come over to him, and it dropped something really shocking, yet of plain interest. "Once my Grimm die, they never turn into dust like the other Grimm back at Remnant," he said.

"Must be that the magic of Equestria is affecting your Grimm, Onyx, and even you," Blade answered.

"Hmm... Well, as long as they do not harm my people, I have no real concerns about their presence," TD stated. "Though for future reference, please make sure that the Salem of your Remnant does not figure out about this world or how to get here. The last thing we need is for her to attempt to gain a foothold in a place she doesn't belong in."

Onyx nodded. "Alright, I'll make sure that she will never figure out about this world or even so much as take a step here."

Onyx then gave a signal to the Alpha Grimm and they walked away for a moment. Blade looked at TD for a moment, and then shrugged. "I've got no line... or script for this part," he muttered, and then he too trotted off, TD chuckling a little at his sentence. He then strolled over to where he found the Guardian of Time waiting for his own goodbyes.

"So, Tempus..." TD said to the male alicorn while giving a somewhat saddened expression. "See you in 100 years, my time?"

"I guess so," Tempus said with a sad smile, before stating, "However, there are some duties I cannot afford to shirk, and one of those is the monitoring of the Shards of Sundav. In any circumstance should action need to be taken regarding one, I will _not_ hesitate to break the ban, William. I hope you understand."

"I do. They technically are your jurisdiction," TD nodded, and then any traces of smiles in his eyes vanished. "Tempus..." he asked, "...do you think this is the right choice? Or is this too far in our duties?"

"We bear a heavy burden William," Tempus said, his voice turning serious. "We are to protect those we love and those we care for, and if this is the best way we can, so be it. People may hate us because of it, but we have to put the collective safety of our worlds above all else."

"I guess you're right... but is it too extreme? Chuck may be right, and Red too..." TD said, but then his expression soon turned to a frown. "Speak of the devil..."

He gestured subtly to where they could see Red himself approaching along with his family. Now TD and those who didn't support Red's ideal had no quarrels with Sonata or Serena, but the hedgehog had definitely made some enemies (figuratively) by making his statement the other day. Currently, the two females in his family were gathered together over something while Red himself was walking over to the two Guardians with a neutral expression.

"Red," Tempus said flatly, his face showing no emotion whatsoever at the second.

"Tempus," Red greeted just as flatly, but managing to smile. It's not surprise to me that you would accept the ban, as your world has suffered greatly and could use the break." His gaze turned to TD momentarily and hardened before returning his gaze to the alicorn. "However, I _am_ surprised that you would support it for ALL worlds."

"We all need time to recover," Tempus said, his voice steely as his eyes narrowed. "If this is the best way, then it's the only way."

"It's not the only way, and you know it," Red growled. "I grew up in a place that was essentially a prison, and seeing you enclose us all in like this is only confirming my..."

The hedgehog stopped himself abruptly, even though he knew that the alicorn had already guessed what he could have said. Tempus frowned, before his face softened as he spoke softly.

"Sometimes, the curse of my power is knowing what must be done for a positive outcome in the long run, yet wanting to do something else." He looked towards the hedgehog, his green eyes no longer hard and emotionless, but warm. "Sometimes what we truly want has to come second to what our people need..."

Red seemed to get the message and a subtle gleam in his eyes told Tempus that he had gotten it, but TD looked between them with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh... care to tell me what you're thinking?" he asked.

"Oh... it's nothing," Red replied, then looked over at where the former CMC was saying their goodbyes to Virin.

"Red..." TD spoke up, making the hedgehog turn to him. "When that portal closes behind you, you will be deemed a criminal until the ban ends."

"Yessir," Red sarcastically saluted, then continued on. Over some ways away, Virin was having tears form in his eyes, feeling sad about one of the things that shouldn't have been part of his sadness.

"I...guess...this is my farewell, everyone," he told his newfound comrades sadly. "It was...fun while it lasted, right...?"

"Yeah... it was," Sweetie Belle agreed, a single tear forming in her eyes.

"Ah wish Scoots could've seen this," Applebloom sniffled. "She'd have wanted to be the first to send ya off."

"I know," Virin nodded in a sad agreement. "Still, I wished I could've saved her life when it really counted. I guess I am still too weak to be ready for that sort of thing."

"Failure to save a life is not weakness," a voice spoke up, and then Red the Hedgehog appeared beside them. "It's not your fault that Scootaloo is gone. She decided to take a blow meant for you, and that was her decision to make. True heroes are not measured by their strength, but by their hearts."

"Hearts...?" Virin managed to mutter before looking down to the ground. Then, suddenly, he'd remembered what Whis had once told him.

 _"When a strong heart's soul is greater than your mind, you can be greeted by a wondrous sight until then."_

"Ah don't know what you're talkin' about, Red, but Ah think he gets it," Applebloom noted, then she and Sweetie really started to shed tears.

"Take care of your Scoots for us," Sweetie told Virin as the two mares hugged him tightly. Virin hugged the two mares back, as he cried silently along with them.

"I promise I'll protect her, with my whole life," he said.

"Ah, now you're making me cry too," Red sniffled.

"Last call on portals!" TD's voice suddenly shouted, making the three of Virin's friends give a small huff.

"Ah know they're on a timer, but can't he just wait a moment?" Applebloom asked.

"I guess not..." Virin sweat-dropped at the Chaotic human's voice. Sighing, he nodded to Applebloom and Sweeite Belle. "I'll do my best to take care of my Scootaloo. That, I promise you all. Take care of yourselves for me, in return, okay? Don't go on crazy ventures without your sisters looking after you, alright?"

The two of them gave a giggle.

"We're practically grown up," Sweetie giggled, then added, "But... for your sake, we promise."

"Okay, then..." Virin then made his way towards TD's place as he nodded to the Chaotic human. "I'm ready to go home."

"Then step right on through," TD said, gesturing to the large round portal. It was just big enough for him to walk though, and on the other side Virin could see the world he called home. Virin sighed again, looking at his other-worldly friends as he called out, "Goodbye, my dear friends!" Then, he jumped into the portal.

Joy, as well as his children, looked towards TD's direction and the human Prince suppressed his cries of sorrow as he looked towards the coffin of his beloved once again, levitating it with his magic on a level equal to his shoulder. Then he along with his children started to head towards the Portal, Aqua reluctantly turning from the one he loved the most and beginning to trot away.

"Wait..." Sunshine called to him softly, making him stop and turn her way for a moment. As soon as he did, she hugged him tightly once more and kissed him as deeply and passionately as she could possibly kiss him, ignoring what looks (positive or negative) were given in their direction. She did this for so long, that when she broke the kiss, both Changeling and pony were practically gasping for breath like fish, a tiny strand of saliva still connected to their lips for a moment before also being broken as she pulled away and also turned away reluctantly. Aqua kept looking in her direction almost stunned, his breaths heavy and his cheeks flushing from the intense bliss, but at the same time he felt his heart filled with a sharp pain and he went towards her once again.

"Sunshine," he called her softly, and when she turned towards him, he returned the favor with equal eagerness and passion as tears left his eyes rapidly, and his heart pounded in his chest, Sadly, that didn't last for very long as he broke the kiss, and afterwards broke into sobs himself. "I'll... return for you, Sunshine," he told her, as he began to turn away, but not before sobbing rather loudly. "...I am and always will... be yours."

He trotted towards the Portal as fast as he could, trying to suppress his sobs in the process as best he could. All around, the others were leaving through the portals as well, with Red and his family leaving last. As they started through, TD couldn't help but notice the small Kirin that Sonata had in her hooves.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, trying to not sound mad.

"Adopting her," the Siren answered him. "Her parents are either dead or beyond our reach now."

TD wanted to object, but if he did even he would think himself to be a jerk for refusing it. Besides, he knew that Sonata wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Alright... but only her," TD stated. "I don't need others to be getting any ideas..." His gaze turned towards Sunshine, who had just watched as Joy and his family had disappeared into their portal. "...or more hearts broken."

Sonata nodded, then she passed through the portal as the Kirin foal looked back at TD with a curious look. Serena was next, and she hugged TD before he could even react.

"Goodbye uncle," she said tearfully, then released him and entered the portal, followed shortly by the Windago Cold Winter. Red came up next, and TD's expression towards him was cold.

"Don't say anything, because all I hear is BS," the hedgehog remarked, then hopped through the portal as well. TD rolled his eyes as he waited on the other portals.

When Bill knew the time had come to leave, he hugged Flurry tightly once again, then released her enough to kiss her forehead.

"Wait for me. I will come back," he said to her, then left through the same portal as Red had. The others soon followed in their own manners, until eventually only TD and those of his Equestria remained. It was bittersweet to say the least, but none more so than for the human who had sent them away. In all honesty, he had never wanted to do this at all, but if it would keep their worlds safe for a while, then to hell with the criticizing.

He just wanted them all to be safe, while he searched for his long-lost friend...

* * *

 **Next up the epilogues, which may take a while since the internet is gone in my household... AGAIN! Life certainly isn't being easy on us. XD**


	14. Tempus and Joy's Epilogues

**First epilogue on the plate is Tempus and Joy Star. Let's take a peek at their life during the ban, shall we?**

* * *

Tempus stood on the balcony in the palace of Canterlot that was connected to the room he and his wife shared. With a sigh, he wrapped his wing around her and pulled her closer to himself.

"I'm so grateful that we have a chance to just recover from every hardship we've faced recently," the Guardian of Time said.

"Me too," Starlight agreed, nuzzling him affectionately. "It feels good just being able to relax for a while now instead of constantly waiting for the next attack."

"I kinda miss Mortem though," Tempus admitted, before sighing. "And I'm afraid of how Eclipse and Moonlight are going to hold up to having to be raised by extended family since Luna and Star Seeker died..."

"Hey... I am too," Starlight told him gently, nuzzling him again. "But we'll get through this as a family. We always have."

Tempus smiled as he nuzzled her back, pulling her closer to him even more.

"I love you Starlight Glimmer," he whispered.

"I love you too..." she answered softly, kissing his forehead before suddenly making a barely-contained hiss of pain. "Really?" she growled in annoyance to no one in particular.

"What is it?" Tempus asked, looking at her with worry on his face.

"I think... my water just broke," she replied.

Tempus' eyes widened, before he said. "Uhm... okay then." He closed his eyes and concentrated, before his darker side materialized beside him. "Tell all our close friends and family," Tempus ordered, and his darker side nodded before disappearing. "How bad is it?" Tempus asked as he picked Starlight up in his aura.

"Bad enough to where I'm surprised I haven't _screamed!_ " Starlight said, having actually screamed upon saying that.

"Okay, you're gonna be fine, you're gonna be fine," Tempus said as he readied his Chaos magic to teleport them to the hospital.

Don't- ah! Don't panic..." Starlight instructed, taking deep breaths. "I'll be fine... you leave the panicking to me..."

"Alright," Tempus nodded, before with a flash and crack they disappeared and re-materialized in the hospital. The hospital staff were all surprised to see them appear out of nowhere, but were quick to know what was happening.

"Lemme guess, the baby's coming?" one doctor nearby chuckled, as if this was a daily and humorous occurrence for him.

"Yes!" Tempus yelled, thankfully not using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Alright, let's get her a stretcher," the doctor ordered, and soon one was provided for them. "Set her down."

"Yes... yes, please... set me down now..." Starlight pleaded, wincing in pain again. Tempus nodded as he set Starlight down, powering down his horn as he did so.

"Alright everypony, let's move out and bring this little one into the world," the doctor said cheerfully, then they started to roll her into one of the rooms.

"Starlight," Tempus called out to her. "You've got this, alright?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine!" Starlight called back. "You just stop worrying!"

That was all she could manage before the doors closed and they were gone.

 ***Some time later***

A good few minutes later found all the close friends and family of Tempus and Starlight gathered in the waiting room of the hospital, with the Guardian of Time nervously pacing back and forth.

"Calm down Tempus!" Sunrise Shield said, rolling his eyes. "You weren't this nervous when your twins were born!"

"Sunrise has a point, darling," Rarity agreed. "You shouldn't be so worried about it."

"Besides, it's not like this is your first child," Spike added.

"That doesn't make it any less stressful for some, Spike," Twilight remarked.

"Dad, calm down," Vitam said as she stood nearby to Tempus. "Mom's going to be fine. She's a tough fighter, and you know it."

"I know, but still..." Tempus began, only to be interrupted by Zecora as she spoke up.

"Sometimes it is our feelings we must truly fear, as they tell us what we do not wish to hear," the zebra said.

"She'll be fine, Tempus," Nightmare Moon assured the male alicorn. "She's a tough pony."

"I guarantee that by the time they call you back, you'll have yet another little pony in your life to love and cherish," Celestia said.

"Just simmer down Sugarcube," Applejack said with a reassuring smile. Tempus looked around the waiting room, before taking a deep breath and nodding as he finally stopped pacing.

"I don't know what I did to deserve such good friends and family like you," he said with a smile. "But I'm glad I did it."

"And we're happy to count you among our own friends and family," Fluttershy agreed with a nod.

"Group hug!" Pinkie Pie cheered, stretching her arms impossibly long and hugging them all.

"Heh. You're lucky I'm used to this by now, otherwise I wouldn't be so sappy," Rainbow Dash commented with a chuckle.

Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm _still_ getting used to it," He admitted with a smile. Just then, they heard a loud feminine cry of pain that could be heard even in the waiting room, causing Pinkie Pie to tilt her head curiously at those who are reading this.

"Why does he _always_ pull that off when he's in charge of our characters?" she asked.

Tempus had stiffened at the cry of pain, and now his attention was directed towards the doors out of the waiting room.

"She'll be fine dad, calm down," Vitam said as she trotted up beside her father and gave him a little nuzzle, which cause him to smile and look towards her, wrapping a wing around his daughter.

"You're right kiddo," Tempus said. "Starlight's going to be fine..."

Just then, the doctor from before walked out with a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Prince Tempus. You have yet another foal to love and cherish," he said cheerfully. Tempus' face lit up with joy and relief, and he hugged Vitam a little tighter to him.

"C-can I come see them?" He asked.

"Of course. But I must ask that the rest of you wait until later. We don't have enough room for you all," the doctor chuckled. "And no changing the room size, please. We forgot where everything was the last time, and it nearly made the CEO flip his lid."

"Understood," Tempus chuckled, releasing Vitam and standing straighter. "I'm sure that everyone will be more than willing to wait."

"You go take your time with your foal, Tempus," Celestia said with a smile. "We can wait."

"But don't take too long! I still have to give him or her a cupcake!" Pinkie exclaimed. Tempus chuckled as he smiled warmly at his friends and family, before nodding to the doctor that he was ready to go see them

"Follow me please," the doctor said, and then led the alicorn to the room that Starlight had been brought into earlier and held the door open for him. "I will give you time to yourselves," he explained. "For now, I have other patients to see."

"Thank you doctor," Tempus said with a smile, before he headed into the room. Inside, he saw Starlight cradling a small foal in her forelegs, cooing gently and softly to the precious bundle of joy. When she noticed Tempus approaching, she turned the baby a little his way to show her husband what he looked like. It was a pegasus colt with a dark brown coat, so dark it was almost black. His wings were the same color as Tempus's coat, his mane and tail were black with a light blue stripe running through them, his right foreleg had a lilac fetlock and his eyes were a teal color, and they glowed slightly.

"Isn't he just the cutest?" Starlight asked Tempus with a smile.

"He's adorable," the male alicorn said with a wide smile, nuzzling Starlight affectionately. "Any name ideas for him yet?"

"Hmm... I have one idea," Starlight said. "I was thinking that we name him after one of our best friends: William."

"I like that idea," Tempus said, before he gently booped the baby's nose. The pegasus colt gurgled, and then Tempus let out a yelp as his tail suddenly caught fire, which he put out with a blast of ice from his horn that he then made disappear with his Chaos magic.

Starlight giggled. "Looks like somepony has something else he shares with our friend."

"Heh, that's for sure..." Tempus suddenly trailed off as his green eyes stared into the distance, the male alicorn seemingly deep in thought for a few seconds before he shook his head.

"What about this for his name?" He asked, coming up beside Starlight and nuzzling her. "William Brisingr Glimmer."

"Brisingr? What does that mean?" Starlight asked curiously.

"It's a word from a language of magic, called the Ancient Language, from a world that Michael went to back when we were still joined," Tempus said as he kissed her. "It means 'Fire'. I think it suits him pretty well, don't you?"

"Brisingr..." Starlight looked down at the foal and smiled. "I think that suits him perfectly."

"Then it's decided?" Tempus asked. "His name will be William Brisingr Glimmer?"

"Yes. Maybe call him Bris for short, though," Starlight nodded.

"Bris," the male alicorn said, smiling warmly at the foal as he nuzzled Starlight again. "I love it."

"I knew you would agree," Starlight replied while nuzzling him back. Tempus smiled warmly before kissing Starlight on the lips passionately, wrapping a wing around both her and his new son. Starlight kissed him back while holding their son close all the while, feeling within her great joy and for the first time in a long while, she felt peaceful.

Life was good for their world...

* * *

It had been almost a year since Joy had returned from TD's world. Even though they'd won the war, the price they paid was too much for him and many more to handle. After losing his only sweetheart to the now-dead robot master, he had become lonely in a true sense. While walking beside the bank of the lake in Ponyville, he remembered those pleasing moments he had spent with her, as well as once again began to hear her voice in his mind. For a moment, he felt as if she was just trotting beside him, and he could swear that he heard her giggle... but in the end, it was just his imagination and nothing more, much to his sorrow. Looking towards the lake in front of him, a strange idea came to his mind. He thought about jumping into that lake and letting himself drown without struggling to survive at all.

And even as he felt himself going towards the banks, as a wave of relief began to wash over him... only to stop as a voice rang in his mind.

 _"Promise me, you'll never give up hope."_

And then the human burst into tears without holding back at all.

"Hey, are you okay there?" a voice suddenly asked him from down on the water. Joy looked down at the surface and saw what appeared to be a reflection of a pony familiar to him, and yet not. A purple mare with spirals for eyes, a propeller cap, and a childlike face despite her age. At first he thought he was dreaming, until the reflection spoke again. "Yeah, me! Down here! I was deciding to see what it was like to be a pool reflection, and then I heard you crying."

"Screwball?" Joy asked in confusion as some of his tears fell in the stream.

"Yeah, that's my name," the mare answered. "How did you-? Oh... You're thinking of my double in a different world. Gotcha."

"I think so..." Joy sighed and backed off from the lake "Well, enjoy being a reflection... I'll be going..."

"Whoa, wait a second!" she protested. "What's wrong? You look upset, and I mean real upset."

"That's because I am..." Joy replied. "Now, please... can I leave...? I really want to be alone for a moment..."

Screwball gave him a sympathetic look. "Come on, what's buggin' ya? You can tell me."

Joy looked at her for a moment, if for nothing more than to at least have her leave him alone after that. "My... beloved sweetheart, my beautiful wife is no more..." he replied with a sob. "All because I couldn't save her..."

Screwball gave a small gasp. "Oh my... What happened?"

"She died during a war. She... she took a blow that was intended for me..." Joy sobbed. "She sacrificed herself to save my life..."

"She sacrificed herself to save you?" Screwball looked down in sadness. "I'm... so sorry. It sounds like she really loved you a lot... to do such a thing..."

"She really loved me a lot..." Joy replied with a nod. Screwball looked down at what counted as the floor or ground for her in her current situation.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "I... kinda know what it's like to have someone love you a lot, and then have them taken from you just like that."

"How?" Joy asked softly, a bit of curiosity in his tone. "Did you... lose somepony too...?"

Screwball nodded. "My dad... a long time ago... He was the only family I ever knew. He created me through his magic, quite on accident, but he didn't care. He still loved me like a daughter. We did everything together. We turned clouds into cotton candy, made houses fall over whenever somepony sneezed... we even made somepony's mane turn into ice cream!" She giggled a bit at that last part, then her face went solemn again. "But then... one day, Celestia and Luna came by and turned him to stone. I was still a filly then, so I didn't understand that what he had been doing was wrong. So when he got turned to stone..." She made a small sad sigh as she stopped to recollect herself.

"Are... you talking about Discord?" Joy asked with a thoughtful manner.

Screwball nodded. "The first time he was put into stone... I hid from everypony because I didn't want to end up having the same fate. But every night, I would visit him in the Canterlot gardens, and talk to him. As if he actually could speak. I always made sure to be sneaky about it, however; I was almost caught once. I waited until the day that he broke out of his prison and I was so happy when that happened! But..." Her voice faltered. "He didn't remember me. As if being trapped in stone had... done something to him. And to make it worst... he was put back into stone again a second time." She sniffed. "I tried to get along without him, but it's never felt that same. Even after he was let free and began to reform... it's never been the same."

She finally disappeared from the lake as a reflection and reappeared right beside him, looking at the lake's reflection. Even though her eyes had no pupils or other traits that one could find with a pony's eyes, it was clear she was deeply hurt inside.

Joy had now changed his mind on leaving now, and he just sat beside her looking down at his reflection. He could see his eyes were still filled with tears. Then he looked towards Screwball. No doubt she was also hurt, and for some reason he knew that in her case it hurt much more than his own case. As his beloved never ceased to love him, even at her... death. But as for poor Screwball, her Daddy never passed away, but he didn't know her anymore. Joy thought about this for a moment.

 _What if Bubble had just left me like this?_ he thought.

"I'm sorry, Screwball... no pony deserves to be left like that..." Joy said without looking towards her, and keep staring towards his own reflection.

"Th- thanks," Screwball managed, drying her tears. "I really do wish... sometimes, I could have him back or even just have someone who appreciates what I can do. But most ponies don't even bother to talk with me."

Joy looked towards her once more as he heard this. "Well, I can talk with you..." he said. "I mean, if you don't mind talking to a sad, broken, bipedal shaved ape..."

Screwball managed a small laugh. "My dad is part goat, part lion, part eagle, and part dragon to name a few. I can talk to a... whatever you called yourself."

"Well, my name is Joy," Joy sighed. "Quite ironic, because that's what I haven't felt since a year or so…"

Screwball gave him a glance. "Well, nice to meet you Joy. You already know my name, so I guess not much of an introduction is needed." She then frowned and looked thoughtful. "Say, I've seen you before, haven't I? A long time ago?"

"Yes, I guess you have," Joy replied with a sigh. "When I was on my way to... stop your daddy from literally turning this village upside down."

"Oh right... I though I recognized you," she remarked, then looked down at the ground. "I'll be the first to apologize for all that. I could've reversed the chaos, but... I guess I just wanted to believe everything was back to the way it was when I was a filly." She shrugged. "I seem to carry a childlike persona to me even as a grownup. I guess it's just how I was made."

"It's alright..." Joy said with reassuring tone. "I honestly... can't blame a daughter for her father's crime..."

Screwball smiled, then asked, "So where'd you come from? You're not really from Equestria, are you?"

"No, my homeworld was once out there..." Joy explained, looking into the horizon. "I don't really remember what it was like, because when I was left in Equestria... I was just a little foal... and then Princess Celestia became my mother..."

Screwball gave a gasp and looked over at him. "Your mom... is Princess Celestia?" she asked in disbelief, mixed with some fear and a sense of curiosity.

"Hey, it's alright... I am not here to turn you into stone," Joy managed a small smile at last. This reassured her a bit when he said that, but not in the ways most ponies tended to be reassured. With her, it was as if she immediately trusted him for it. And if the Screwball from TD's world was any indicator of why, then it wasn't too surprising.

"Well... thanks for being honest," she said, then asked with curiosity, "So what is it like, being a Prince?"

"It was fun at first..." Joy said as he leaned back on the grass looking towards the sky. "I never had to worry about anything at all... I could have anything I wanted, and do anything I wanted to do... with little to no effort on my part... kinda like you I guess... But then, there was my sweetheart. She really cared about me and always told me to become better... and so did my mother... and my thoughts changed... I grew to dislike formalities and such... and I decided to stay as simple as I could by being a Prince... Still, life as a young Prince was the most memorable part of my life... and that's all because of my sweetheart and my mom."

"AH, they sound so sweet!" Screwball exclaimed with an adorable expression.

Joy passed her a nod. "Yeah, but everything has to come to an end... eventually..." Joy said as he wiped a tear or two from his eyes. "And so, my sweetheart had to leave me... but... but I wonder, why in such a way...?" He was now mumbling to himself more than Screwball.

Screwball placed a hoof on his shoulder. "What happened to her?"

"A... maniac stabbed her with a poisoned blade..." Joy managed to say between sobs. "I don't even know how much pain she must have been in, or if she was... suffering... before she..." Joy couldn't bring himself to finish. Screwball was shocked.

"Poison?!" She gave him a sympathetic look. "I- I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to-" She sighed and looked down. "It must have been hard... I know that feeling..."

"You know?" Joy asked in confusion.

"I know how hard it feels, but... not on that scale," Screwball explained. "Daddy's punishment was... rather quick. I don't even think we was conscious inside his prison." She sighed again. "So... I wouldn't know how it felt for you and her to live through that, slowly waiting for it to be over..."

Joy slowly nodded at this and then broke to tears once again, still lying on the grass. But this time, he turned his back towards the spiral eyed mare, as if he didn't wanna show her that he was crying like a child, while visions of Bubble's demise crossed his mind once again.

"Oh Bubble..." Joy cried her name. "Oh my... dear Bubble...!"

Screwball couldn't help herself and gave him a big hug, letting him pour out his grief as her own silent tears began to fall. It pained her to see anyone in pain, and she wanted to help in some way to relieve it for him. Joy felt her hugging him as he kept sobbing, then suddenly did something unexpected. He grabbed her hoof and began to caress his fingers on it for the moment, and she heard him muttering, "Bubble, don't leave this time..."

Screwball felt baffled when she heard this, but slightly flattered as well. Still, she felt bad for doing this; she didn't want to suddenly replace this Bubble he kept referring to, but she didn't want to leave him so broken either. So she just hugged him tighter.

"Just let it all out," she told him. "Just let it out, Joy."

Joy sobbed heavily before continuing, and holding her hoof close to his heart. "I... miss you so much... you know... I sometimes... miss you so... much... I thought about... coming to you myself... But then... then I remembered you... told... told me... to not... not to give up hope... I... I... I try my best to... forget my sadness... but... every time... I think that it worked... you return to me... and then you didn't even listen to... what I want to say... and just leave... me... making me... even more alone than before... Why you don't want me - want me to... lessen this guilt...?" he began to sob even harder "...why do you return again and... again... and then, why... don't you listen to me...? Even when you return...? I said... I was sorry... I never wished... for that to happen..."

"Joy," Screwball spoke to him. "Listen... I know it hurts... but you can't hold onto it forever." She herself was crying as she remembered practicing what she preached herself, when she had first learned about what had happened to her father. "I know it's hard... and I know it hurts... but you have to let go... And let it all out... It wasn't your fault... so let go of your guilt... don't let it bog you down..." She gave him a tighter squeeze. "And if you need someone to talk to... I'm here to help..."

As Joy listened what she just said, he soon remembered that he wasn't talking to Bubble at all. It was Screwball all the time, and the presence of Bubble he had felt was nothing more than a mere illusion once again. A sigh was made by him as he released her hoof.

"I'm sorry..." Joy was still sad, but not as much as he had been. His talk to "Bubble" just now, had helped him to let out much of his grief he was holding within him for a year and so, and for some reason he was feeling... relieved. Screwball smiled and stopped crying when she noticed that he had calm down.

"Don't be sorry," she said. "You needed to release some built up pressure, and I was simply trying to help out. I don't like seeing anypony sad."

"Thanks..." Joy said as he looked towards her once again. "I... really needed to say... all that..."

"You're welcome," Screwball answered with a smile.

Joy then got up and felt that his mind was now much or less at peace. The memories of the moments with his wife didn't felt so... painful anymore. Instead, he remembered how much she loved him throughout the time they spend together, and that feeling let out a small, yet a little sad giggle from him. "I'm still sorry that I thought that you..."

Screwball giggled. "You're okay. I did that once myself, only it was with a Minotaur. So, you're cool in my book."

Joy let out another giggle at this and looked around, not sure what to say. Then he saw some small pebbles around them, as some pleasant memory came to his mind. He picked up a pebble and threw it into the lake. Screwball saw this and looked to the ripples caused by it with interest. Then she gently tapped her hoof against the water's surface and the entire lake became still again without a single ripple. Then she tapped hit again, and the ripples returned. She gave a sigh as if remembering something herself.

"What's the matter?" Joy asked her, his voice was now somewhat concerned and caring.

Screwball gave a small smile. "Daddy and I often went out on the lakes from time to time. Sometimes, we wouldn't even manipulate it with our chaos; we just sat there and watched the surface." She tapped the water again and it ceased to be filled with ripples. She gave a small shrug when Joy noticed that. "Daddy taught me that one. It's one of the few neat tricks I've seen him do without using his magic."

"It's... really interesting..." Joy said and sighed deeply once again as he looked towards in the direction of Canterlot.

Screwball followed his gaze. "Do you have to head back?" she asked him. "It is getting a bit late."

"Actually, I was here to stay for a while... to get myself distracted from the sadness..." Joy replied with a sigh. "I was going to stay here for a few more days... but come to think of it... my foals must be worried about me..."

Screwball smiled in a supportive manner. "Go on back to them. You belong with your family, and I think they'd want to be with you too."

"I should..." Joy said, then he grabbed her in a hug for a moment before releasing her and saying, "Thanks for making me realize this..." But then he realized something. "What... about you?"

"Oh... I'll be fine," she said, with a slight hint of wistfulness. "I've lived on my own for a long time... I think I can manage..."

Joy didn't feel that leaving her on her own was right, especially when she helped him during his distressed state of mind.

"You know... I can stay here for one more night..." he reassured. "I have a temporary house in Ponyville... and..."

"No!" Screwball yelled, then realized her mistake and corrected in a softer tone, "I don't want to keep you away from your family. I mean... you just met me, and I don't want to be a bother..."

"You aren't a bother... If anything... you comforted me when I needed it most..." Joy replied. "And... I couldn't help but think of myself as a mean person, if I left you on your own like this..."

Screwball was touched by the offer. "I... that's really nice of you. What can I say other than... thanks!"

"It's alright... so you're okay with this...?" Joy asked with the same caring tone.

"Well... only if you are," she answered. Joy passed her a nod and got up from the ground, as a smile appeared on his face.

"C'mon, my house is this way..." he said as he led the way. Screwball followed him down the path he had chosen at a happy trot, feeling herself bubbling with excitement.

 _Is this even real? she thought to herself. This seems too good to be true... Nopony has ever been as nice to me as him._

After walking for some time Joy saw himself in front of his house. A sigh was made by him as he opened the door using a key. Joy opened the door and invited her to come in. "Mares... first?"

Screwball chuckled in amusement and walked right on in. "Haven't heard that one used in a while," she commented. "You're quite the gentlecolt when you need to be, aren't ya?"

"I'm a Prince after all," Joy replied with a gentle, yet small smile. "And unlike my cousin, I like to treat mares with respect..."

"Cousin?" Screwball inquired, then realized what he meant. "Oh, you mean Blueblood? Yeah, even Daddy feels justifiably mad at that guy."

"Yeah, that's the one," Joy agreed as he walked beside her towards the living room. This home wasn't one which anyone would think was for a Prince from Canterlot, but rather this was like a normal house with four significantly large rooms, including a kitchen and bathroom. "I know, not the Prince with usual royal tastes, am I?"

"It's still comfortable, and that's good enough for me," Screwball reassured, taking a look around. "I've... never really been inside a house before. Or at least to stay, even for a little while."

"Oh," Joy said in understanding as he entered the living room along with Screwball. "Well, now you can stay in this house as long as you want to," he replied as he gestured her to sit on the couch, and she did so. "So, anything I can fix for you? I believe you must be hungry..."

"Oh..." Screwball's stomach growled and she gave a sheepish smile. "Anything you've got will do."

Joy nodded and then left for the kitechen. While he was gone, Screwball took a look around to assess her situation. She barely even knew this figure, save that he was the son of Princess Celestia and that he had recently endured much pain and suffering before returning to his own world again. Yet even then, he was still kind enough to offer her a place to stay and even to speak to her, an uncommon occurrence in her life of solitude before that. But one thing still bothered her inside.

"For a while when he was crying, he thought I was his wife..." she said to herself aloud, but at a low volume. "I know it was because he was grieving, but... has he truly gotten over that? I don't want to replace her, because that wouldn't be right." She sighed. "But I can at least try to help in some way..."

She looked back towards where he had disappeared, then to the floor where she seemed to be seeing the sad look in his eyes she had seen in his reflection in the lake once more. A broken soul, just like she herself had been for so long. She couldn't in good conscience leave him like this. So in the semi-silence of the room, she made a solemn vow to herself.

 _"I will never leave him alone. Even if it means risking what friendly grounds we're on now, I will stand by him to the end. He's lost too much already, but he won't lose me."_

* * *

 **Joy's story will actually continue soon, because Admirer and I have been making a full story out of his time during the ban planned out. This was simply delayed because I wanted to get the main story out of the way first.**

 **Hope y'all have enjoyed! Stay tuned for the other epilogues.**


	15. Virin, Nightblade, and Chuck's Epilogues

**In case the chapter name isn't obvious, here we get Chuck, Virin, and Nightblade's Epilogues.**

* * *

Virin groaned as the light disappeared around him. He looked around to his surroundings, before noticing a Temple in the distance between Canterlot and Ponyville. He smiled as he knew this could mean only one thing: he was back. Suddenly, thinking of the death of the other Scootaloo, Virin's smile disappeared from his expression as he was in sadness, but he knew his daughter in this world isn't dead yet.

"Dad!" An all too familiar voice cried out. Feeling his spirits light up, Virin turned around to see an orange blur hitting him right into the chest, knocking him down on the ground.

"Hey, Scoots!" he laughed. "What's with the sudden happiness?"

"You were gone for about six hours!" His daughter responded. "That's what!"

 _Six hours?!_ Virin's mind wandered back to his time on TD's world. _Well, guess time really does work different in other Equestria's._

"Dad?" Scootaloo asked. "You okay?"

"Huh?" Virin snapped out of his train of thought. "I'm alright, my child. Just thinking."

"About what?" His daughter was a curious thing, that's for sure.

"You promise you won't freak out?" Virin asked her.

"I won't! I'm a big girl now!" Scoots smiled brightly at her father.

Virin smiled as well. "This is gonna shock you for a bit, but keep this a secret, okay?"

"Pinkie Promise," his daughter nodded, performing the gesture as she did.

After a deep sigh, Virin started to explain what had happened to him to his daughter. He started with how Discord managed to make him get into his game of universe traveling, how he ended up in a different world, along with the death of an different Scootaloo, all the way up to his fight with a being called "The Nameless One," where his Ultra Instinct had been activated once more. He also told her how many new friends he had made in that universe, which shocked her greatly to learn about something so bizarre. After his explanation was done, Virin smiled at his daughter, as Scootaloo's mouth was agape in surprise.

"Wow, Dad," she breathed. "That's... something, alright."

"Yeah. Sure is something, alright," Virin agreed.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Scootaloo asked after overcoming her surprise.

"The obvious," her father replied. "Training."

"Obviously," Scootaloo laughed a bit.

"Let's go back to the family, shall we?" Virin asked her kindly.

"Sure!" His daughter gave him a bright smile and they both walked back towards home together.

* * *

 ***A Few Years After The Defeat of The Nameless One...***

Nightblade trotted down to Sweet Apple Acres from his Job at the Golden Oaks Library. It had been a long day of work, and he was looking forward to spending time with the family.

"Now that I finished working, I have time to see my loving wife and-"

Just before Blade finished, he felt something land on his back. Blade turned around and saw a yellow Pegasus filly with a yellow and purple braided mane and tail. She also had a brown Stetson hat on and currently lacked a Cutie Mark. Her name was Apple Star, daughter of Applejack and Nightblade.

"Pa! Yer home!" the filly cheered. Blade smiled at his daughter.

"Hello my Little Star. Did your mother know that you skipped class today?" he asked. Apple Star looked away when he asked.

"N-no," she lied a bit, causing Blade to raise his brow.

"C'mon, tell the truth. Is it because you're looking for you're Cutie mark?" he smirked. Apple Star tried to talk back to her Dad, but then decided against it and sighed in defeat.

"Yes..." she mumbled. Just then, the doors to their home opened and another figure walked out to greet them.

"Nightblade! Welcome home!" Applejack greeted, coming down towards them with a big smile. "And it seems you're having a conversation with a flying apple," she joked, chuckling a bit at the pun. Apple Star blushed with humored embarrassment at the nickname while Blade gave Applejack a peck on the cheek.

"Yes I have, dear," he replied with a smile, as Apple Star hopped off her father's back.

"How was yer day, hon?" AJ asked him.

"Oh just re-organized the books, working on my inventions, and doing some art; the usual," he told her.

"Ya make it sound like it's borin'," AJ teased.

"Sometimes it is," Nightblade chuckled. Applejack shook her head in amusement, then turned back to the house while gesturing to follow.

"Come on! I baked ya some apple pie before ya got back," she said.

"Apple pie!" Apple Star cheered, then she flew into the house while Nightblade chuckled and followed them in.

* * *

 ***Five Years After The Defeat of The Nameless One...***

"I will remember you, will you remember meee?" Chuck's eldest and only son, Sterling, hummed as he and his parents got the large hall in the hive ready for the evening's banquet.

"If you hum yet another lyric of that, I swear to all that is holy..." Chuck muttered, irritated at his son. "I never should have brought that Sarah McLachlan here."

"It's a nice song!" Pinkie remarked. "Besides, it's fitting for today."

"It's about a breakup. It's not fitting," Chuck replied.

"At least it works for Sterling," Pinkie pointed out. "And if it works for him, it works for me... for now at least."

"Mhm," was all her husband had to say in reply for the time being, only to break the silence that followed with, "Can't believe it's been five years," he sighed.

"Me neither," Pinkie agreed. "And so much has changed since then. Twilight's new foal, Dashie thinking on retirement... and Sugar Plum..." She paused and gave a wistful sigh. "Time flies, doesn't it?"

"Sure does," Chuck nodded. "Not always for the better, but not always for the worse either. At least I can always count on seeing one of my kids around," he remarked, a dry tone in his voice.

"Yep. I ain't going anywhere," Sterling nodded, not noticing his tone.

"Yep, none of the bliss of an empty nest for us," he remarked.

"I like having Sterling around!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Often reminds me of you when we were younger. Usually in the best of ways."

"That's funny," Chuck replied. "He reminds me more of you from back then. In all the best ways of course," he reassured.

"Guess we both see a little of ourselves in him," Pinkie remarked.

"Almost as if that's how biology works," Chuck replied. "How long until the dinner?" he asked. "Yeah! I'm famished!" Sterling announced. "You just ate lunch," Chuck reminded him. "You ate like, three lunches worth of a lunch." "It's my metabolism. I'm a growing boy, dad," Sterling said. "You're in your twenties. That excuse died years ago," Chuck replied.

"It'll be ready soon..." Pinkie started, but then a voice called outside that was familiar to them.

"Hello!" TD called. "Guys? I was hoping to talk, but... is this a bad time to come over?"

"Nope!" Pinkie shook her head.

"Okay... coming in then. Look out..."

A flash of light appeared nearby and TD stood before them in Changeling form. He took a good look around, and then spoke.

"Oh... right. That would explain the lack of guards at the entrance," he remarked.

"Mhm," Chuck nodded. "What do you want?"

"What he means is, how can we help you?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you guys were faring," TD replied with a shrug. "I haven't visited you guys that often due to taking care of little Bubble, so I decided to hop on by and see what's cooking. Not literally though; I only just realized something actually is cooking."

"Ah, well, everything is fine here," Chuck responded quickly. "And yeah, lots of stuff cooking. Kind of a banquet thing, fifth anniversary of our daughter's death type ceremony. The invite should have arrived, if not it's probably in the mail or something."

"Was I invited?" TD asked. "Twi never told me if I was, and Zach... well, obviously he has other priorities now so he wouldn't be able to tell me."

"Well, I mean, Pinkie handled invitations," Chuck stated.

"I sent you one," she nodded.

"Oh... well at least I know I'm not showing up at the wrong place," TD remarked. "So... anything I can do to help?"

"No no. We're pretty well done setting up," Chuck answered.

"You sure?" TD asked. "I mean, if you're good then alright."

"We're fine," he replied.

"Okay..." TD shrugged, then looked to Sterling. "How are you, man?"

"I'm good! I've been living at home for like, years," Sterling said.

"Yeah. It's super," Chuck stated.

"Well, whatever you do man, don't try to do what Zach did and put sugar in the salt shakers and vice versa," TD joked. "That'll put you on the hit list real quick."

"There's a hit list for that?! I thought I was the only one!" Pinkie exclaimed, to which TD gave a giggle.

"Still my number one reason why I watch the show," he chuckled.

"If he did that, he'd be hot dog meat," Chuck stated.

"Oh, so THAT'S what the hot dogs are made of here," the entity joked.

"Annoying sons? Probably." Chuck nodded.

"He's not annoying!" Pinkie defended him.

"Yeah," TD agreed. "The annoying one would be me. And Red, since all that blew over..." He sighed. "I swear, my author gave him too much power with the Fourth Wall. I just... can't... ever... catch him."

"Well, that's what happens. Restrictions are never a bad thing," Chuck replied.

"Tell that to the crazy hedgehog," TD muttered.

"I think it's done now!" Pinkie announced.

"Great," Chuck nodded to his wife. "Guests should be here in a few hours now," he remarked.

"So who's invited?" TD asked. "I mean, obviously I'd expect family, but anyone else I should be aware of?"

"Well, pretty much anyone from the old days is invited," Chuck answered. "Most of 'em were a big part of Sweet Tooth's life when she was growing up. Thought they might appreciate it."

"So expect the girls, maybe Zach, and whoever else they've stumbled into," TD said aloud. "Got it. And no, ladies and gents, that last part was not an insult. That's just how I remember things... for whatever reason."

"Mhm. Ivory's even coming back to town with Cheese, looking forward to seeing them again, been about three years since they moved away," Chuck noted. "Anyway, I've got places to be," he said, heading for the exit of the hall.

"Like what? Where ya going?" TD asked him.

"Just, uh, got things to do. Getting myself ready. Y'know, making sure my old suit hasn't got moth holes in it and such," he said.

"How convenient he keeps his old suit in his lounge," Sterling remarked.

"Thanks for telling me that," TD said to Sterling. "I should hang out with you more. Chuck's lucky to have people who love him enough to rat him out."

"Mhm," Chuck noted, shutting the door behind him promptly.

I'll be right back," TD told the others, then in a flash he disappeared from the room.

"Good, at least we can count on dad being in a bad mood for tonight," Sterling remarked.

"He wasn't in a great mood already," Pinkie replied. "Besides, the past few years have been hard on him; you know that," she said, a rare, scolding tone in her voice.

 _This is gonna suck,_ TD thought to himself as he appeared in the lounge waiting on Chuck. The door opened and Chuck walked inside. He went to the desk where he generally sat, blew dust off an old record and sat down, placing it on the record player. He fumbled a cigar cutter off the desk and cut a cigar, lit it, and put it in his mouth. He was either being so detached he didn't notice TD's presence at all or he did and was saying nothing. TD cleared his throat and looked to Chuck expectantly.

"Don't worry, I see you," he said. "I just didn't want the conversation to start yet. I like this song."

He motioned his cigar to the record player.

"Have I heard that one before?" TD asked. "Knowing me, it's probably no, but tell me the name anyways."

"I don't know, maybe you have," Chuck shrugged. "Walk Right In. The Rooftop Singers."

"Nope, haven't heard them. As usual," TD chuckled. He then sighed and said, "Chuck, I know you're gonna hate me for saying this and I'm gonna hate myself for going on the initiative... but we need to talk."

"Well, one of those statements is definitely accurate," Chuck said, blowing a smoke ring. "What of? Weather's been pretty nice as of late. I hear Mayor Mare's running for yet another term. Is it that?" he asked coyly.

"No. I could care less who's the mayor right now, because if it ever turns out to be someone I don't like or who's incompetent... Out they go!" TD explained. "No, Chuck. It goes... deeper than that. And I think you know what it is."

"God complex much? I've suffered through plenty of government heads I didn't like. It's part of life," Chuck scoffed at the earlier statement. "And to be quite frank, no. I don't believe I know what it is. I don't believe there's anything _to_ talk about."

"Really? How about our little relationship, Gareth?" TD stated. "Because last I checked, it's not on the best of terms. That became clear when Nameless was still a threat."

" _That's_ when it became clear?" the Changeling arched his brow. "And it's Chuck, thank you."

TD frowned. "I was seeing if you were paying attention, not that I care what name I call you by. Heck, I'd sooner call you Chuckie if it wasn't for the fact that Pinkie and, ironically, Twilight would tan my hide." He sighed. "But yes, that's when it became clear. Why? Was there a point before I should aware about?"

"M'eh, frankly I can't remember if there was, a lot of that's a blur to me now. A lot of what's before a bit of a blur too," Chuck shrugged. "Selective memory is the best gift I could have received, I'm lucky my old man had it," he remarked.

"Well, how about this? Small argument you and me had, in front of Joy Star concerning his now-passed away wife," TD noted. "Ring a bell? Or maybe the fact you almost didn't even bother helping us out when we needed it?" His frown deepened. "That was a low blow in my eyes. Even I would have come to your aid when it was needed, and we don't even get along too often."

"Well, my apologies, but I'm pretty sure the fact we're both still here is proof that it didn't make a difference," the Changeling replied. "I had my own matters to attend to."

"Okay, really, what's the deal?" TD demanded. "Did I offend you at one point and I just don't know? Am I a bad friend? What? Because clearly, I got on your bad side somehow before then!"

"Oy gevalt," Chuck rolled his eyes. "If I had a problem with you, would I have invited you to dinner tonight? No. Would I have agreed to have this menial conversation? No. Would I have agreed to hand over my daughter to your son? No," he remarked. "So, if you're taking my mood regarding my life personally, that's your fault."

"What- I don't-" TD gave up and sighed. "Fine... I guess you may be right... but I still feel like something's off."

"Something's off? Yeah, something's off. Y'wanna know what's off?" Chuck asked, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "D'ah, forget it. Wouldn't wanna ruin my memory of the song that's playing by sharing," he muttered. "Ordinary Day, Great Big Sea. Big folk band where I came from." He changed the subject. "The record itself was a gift from a friend of mine, enchanted to be... kind of like a Spotify playlist but in the form of a classy record."

"Gareth- Chuck- Whatever you want to be called... just tell me, please," TD pleaded. "I hate not knowing what's wrong between friends."

"There's nothing wrong between us," Chuck replied flatly. "It's nothing that can be controlled; it's my own problem, and I'm dealing with it how I like to," he reasoned. "S'anyway, how's your red and quilled friend? Catch him yet?" he asked, a slight patronizing smirk curling on his lips.

"Friend... ha! Some friend he is at this point," TD remarked. "He breaks the rules on purpose, doesn't apologize, and when I confront him over it... he's just tells me to ship out. Too bad I've already done my sailing song."

"M'eh, someone's gotta break the rules. Without people like that, rules are just... there," Chuck sighed, looking to the cigar cutter he had picked up fondly. "Frankly, I'm kind of glad he was out there doing that," he said, not shifting his gaze from the antique trinket, and when he did finally shift his gaze, it was to the record on the phonograph.

"You're what?!" TD yelped. "Who's side are you on, Chuck? On that note, why are you so sensitive on whether you're called Gareth or Chuck? I let you call me by my real name all the time, and even Tempest doesn't mind me switching between names."

"I'm on _my_ side, your royal high-and-mighty-ness!" Chuck scoffed. "How do you think it felt for me when I couldn't see my dad again, after you made that stupid rule, huh? He was my last family member from my home world who gave a damn about me. At least Red had the cajones to break your rule and let me keep in touch with him..." He grumbled, tossing the cutter back into the drawer on his desk with a thud. "Not that it matters now," he sighed.

"I said you could visit!" TD argued. "You could have asked me at any time! And I'm trying to keep you all safe! Red doesn't understand-"

"If I could visit, why did I have to get word that the old man died from Red!?" Chuck barked. "You'd think Mr. Godlike would have at least warned me about that so I could have said goodbye," he sneered before laying back in his chair in a sigh. "I knew it was gonna happen, but a little word would have been nice. He got to meet all his grandkids once, that's what matters." He took a long drag of the cigar. "So yeah, pardon me for not being amicable. Sorry I was a bit busy dealing with the death of my daughter during your 'be all-end all' war," he said, blowing a series of gray rings from his mouth.

"Is that what this is about?" TD inquired. "I didn't know he'd be dead, otherwise I would've let you visit sooner! And I'm NOT A GOD!"

"God-like, not God. Trust me, there's a difference," Chuck replied. "Now, don't you have a cat stuck in a tree to save or some old foe to fight off, Mr. Hero?" he asked.

"If there was, I wouldn't be here," TD growled. "You don't understand. This world means too much to me to let it fall like it almost has several times! That's what the ban is for; to keep things like that from happening... or at least, that's the intention." He scowled. "Apparently, some think that it's more or less making a prison."

"Mhm, build a wall and make the universe pay for it," Chuck replied, swinging his head down from where it lay on his chair and now staring at the mahogany on his desk. "Sure am glad this happened now, and not forty some years ago. Cripes, I don't know where I'd be if that were the case. Probably shooting up behind an Arby's or something," he chuckled.

"Arby's? That's the best you've got?" TD remarked. "Forty years ago, it wouldn't have mattered. You wouldn't even be in this world without me screwing up!" He then remembered. "Oh right... you don't remember... I wiped that memory."

"Gee, thanks, wanna wipe the past ten minutes from my brain next?" Chuck asked sarcastically.

"Hey, you consented to it," TD pointed out. "The only reason I would have of doing it without your consent is if you were my enemy." He then sighed. "Walls protect, yet I have an entire universe- no, several universes that whine and complain about it. Am I wrong to want to keep them safe, Chuck?"

"It's not really your job," Chuck shrugged. "Sometimes, bad stuff is just... meant to happen. Can't prevent it. Messes with nature, throws the grand scheme of things all out of whack. 'Course, you're no stranger to that," he remarked. TD glared at him for that, then sighed in defeat.

"Oh, maybe he's right. Maybe this whole thing is just a waste of my time," he muttered. "But I just... I feel POWERLESS if I don't do something! But at the same time, without anyone to fight..." He growled. "I feel like I'm losing my mind, Gareth. I don't want to lose another family, but I also don't want to lose the protection the ban can provide. But if I keep up the one, I'm eventually going to lose the other... What do I do? For once in my life as the Terror of Dimensions, if that's even what I can be called anymore... I don't know what to do..."

Chuck looked up from his desk, his brow arched. "I don't know if I'm the one you want to tell this. Because you wouldn't like any of my suggestions to fix that, no matter how genuine they are."

"Maybe not... but for once in regards to things like that, I want to hear them," the entity sighed. "I need to hear them. Not just from my family, or from a separated personality of my being... but from someone else..."

"Well, we don't agree on anything, we have a completely different point of view, I can _never_ think of a time where we've debated on something that's ever ended well..." Chuck remarked. "Come to think of it, now I see why I'm the perfect one to call on this. Alright. I'll help you."

"Well, we did agree on-" TD started, then stopped himself. "Sorry. Fire away..."

"So, you feel powerless, huh?" Chuck asked simply. "Welcome to life for like... most folks out there." He chuckled, the chuckle evolving into a laugh. "What you need to do now... well, embrace that part of you. You've been walking around with this... phenomenal cosmic powers schtick for years, and believe me, nobody ever gets tired of it. But... maybe... just... focus on living life now. Just put all your focus on those close to you and let the rest sort itself out," he reasoned. "That's what I've been doing for... well... however long I've been around," he explained. "I'm not going to say nothing bad's ever gonna happen but... a singer I know of once said in his song, 'at the end of the day, you've just got to say it's alright'. I've had the worst few years of my life. Sweet Tooth is dead, Oddity died in one of the attacks on Ponyville, and earlier this year I got word my old man died. But... that's part of life, good and bad. You can't have one without the other. It's about learning to accept that and just... let the story unfurl. You understand what I'm saying?" he asked.

"I- I guess..." TD admitted. "But... I'm still scared... I lost so much before..."

"Yep," Chuck answered bluntly. "I'm not saying that isn't relevant, but loss is part of life and there isn't any changing that. Forgive me for psychoanalyzing, but I feel all this time having so much control over so much has made you a little blind to that," he remarked. "I can't control a lot of things, I couldn't control any of the losses in my life. All we can do, and all we should do is cherish the time we have with those we care about, and when their story is over... you just have to let it be over. Good times, bad times, we need both. It's not healthy to force one of those away. What I advise you do is just live a normal life, life a little more lassaiz-faire. After all, most everyone who isn't you or on a deity level of power has been living like that forever; it's how it was meant to be. I miss Sweet Tooth, I miss my dad, I miss everyone I've lost, but I understand that it was how it was meant to be, and... I've got a feeling one way or another it's just a 'goodbye for now' type of thing anyway," he concluded, a little smile on his face. "So, moral of the story is, we all get scared of what we don't know or understand; but at the end of the day, we've just got to say its alright."

TD stayed silent for a long time, to the point where if he wasn't looking in Chuck's general direction it would have been assumed he had fallen asleep. Then finally, a small smile crept on his face.

"While not the exact way I'd put it... you've used my own words against me," he chuckled. "And, you're right. I'm so used to being powerful, so used to being in control of things... I guess I did start to play the part of a god. But Existence doesn't need more gods. They need more people with good hearts... like yourself." He looked up at Chuck as he spoke now. "My life is anything but normal, and I can't make any promises on being spot on with your advice... but I'll give it a try. I will admit, being powerless, even if that's a figurative form, does have one good thrill to it: I don't know what'll happen next. And that excites me in a weird way." He smirked. "You probably should've gotten a Cutie Mark in being a psychologist or whatever they're called."

"Nah, I like entertaining folks better," Chuck chuckled. "Happy to have helped, if I did anyway."

"Oh, you helped a lot, Chuck," TD replied with a smile. "Now then, I believe we have some things to attend to?"

"I'd say it's just about that time," Chuck nodded.

"So, does this mean I can call you Gareth anytime I want?" TD asked, then smirked as he winked. "I'm kidding of course... I'd just call you that anytime I want to tease you. But what can I say? It's part of my charm... and my downfall in some cases."

"How charming," Chuck gritted his teeth. "Now get outta here, I gotta put my suit on."

"Chuck, you don't normally wear clothes. That's not an issue," TD chuckled. When Chuck simply glared at him some more, he sighed. "Fine. Later, skater!"

TD made a laugh as he disappeared in a fiery portal beneath his feet, and then it closed behind him, leaving Chuck alone. Mumbling a little, Chuck donned the suit he used to wear quite frequently as a performer, but it also doubled as a formal suit.

"Now all I need's the old wig," he chuckled to himself as he left the lounge, rejoining his wife.

"You were in there for a while!" she remarked.

"Yeah, and it felt like even longer," he replied, a little chuckle coming from his mouth. "The guests here yet?"

* * *

 **Only one more chapter to go, ladies and gents! And it'll be perhaps the best one I make yet.**

 **Cya soon!**


	16. Final Epilogue

**Thirty Years After Nameless (100 Years in TD's Equestria)**

In an alleyway of Canterlot, a portal opened up silently, made up of swirling dark blue energy. A pony-shaped figure stepped through, and the portal closed behind him. The pony moved to the end of the alleyway, looking down the streets in both directions before turning and heading towards Canterlot Castle, wearing a black hooded cloak that obscured their facial features from sight, except for two green eyes that glanced side-to-side every now and then, taking in their surroundings.

"Excuse me, sir?" a foal's voice called to him, and the figure turned to see a group of small foals and fillies being led by what appeared to be a school teacher walking up to him. Apparently they were a tour or field trip group and they seemed to want to ask him something. The pony smiled, although his face was still hidden in the shadows of his hood as he looked over the group. His green eyes twinkled slightly before he spoke up.

"Yes, what do you need?" He asked, still smiling.

"Yes, do you know where to get to the Fizzlepop Fountain from here?" the teacher asked him. "We were hoping to use it as a landmark to get to the square, and we seem to be a bit lost."

"Uhh, well..." The pony stammered, raising a hoof to rub his neck, revealing brown fur. "I don't really know where that is... I haven't been here in a while..."

"Oh... well, do you at least know where the square is?" the teacher asked again. "It's where we're headed anyways."

"Well, I may be able to find it," he said, as a pair of brown wings unfolded from under some special flaps on the back of his cloak. "Give me a second please." He leaped into the sky and flew up a ways, hovering some before flying down and pointing with a hoof in the direction the square was. "Just go that way. You'll get there soon enough."

"Thank you! Thank you, Mister, uh..." the teacher tried to thank, but was stuck on the name. The pony chuckled, before a dark blue magical aura surrounded his hood and lowered it, revealing a gray mane streaked with black that flowed like it was caught in an invisible wind, and a silver crown resting on his head.

"The name's Tempus," he said, smiling. The teacher gasped with surprise and so did her class.

"OMG!" a filly squealed with delight. "You're Prince Tempus?!"

"The one and only," Tempus said with a bow. "Guardian of Time, Prince of Time, Life, and Death."

The class finally overcame their shock and several fan-girl screams came from them.

"I... this is amazing!" the teacher managed. "I can't believe... we're standing before..."

She then nervously gave him a small bow. Tempus raised a hoof, shaking his head slightly.

"No need for that. I'm not a prince of this world," he said, before shuddering slightly as a dark mist seeped out of him and swirled beside him, resolving into an alicorn with skin so dark brown it was almost black, a black mane and tail, glowing red eyes, and when he smiled, his teeth were jagged.

"I see that I'm slightly a celebrity here, though," the Guardian of Time said as his dark personality looked around.

"Celebrity? You're a LEGEND!" another filly exclaimed, none of them seemingly fazed by his darker side. "You're like, beyond world-famous, figuratively and literally!"

"Can I have your autograph?" a third filly asked, giving him the cute puppy eyes. Tempus chuckled, before a piece of paper, and a quill and ink jar materialized out of nowhere. Taking the quill in his magic, the alicorn quickly signed his name on the paper, using his magic to hand it to the filly who had asked as the quill and ink jar turned to mist and vanished.

"Thank you!" the filly cheered.

"Is it true you're from another world?" a colt asked, seemingly curious.

"And you really fought alongside the legendary Rainbow Dash and her friends?" another questioned. Tempus chuckled to himself, before nodding.

"I am from another world, yes," he said. "And I did fight alongside Rainbow Dash and her friends. I also lost two ponies I cared for a lot during that war, so I tend to not think about it a whole lot."

A sad expression crossed the Prince of Time's face, and his darker side put a wing over his back, giving him a little comfort as Tempus sniffed as his gaze became distant, reliving the sad memories of the war.

 **"He always gets emotional when we talk about the war... He lost one of his best friends and his sister during it,"** Tempus's darker side.

"Oh... I'm sorry sir," the first colt apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up anything personal."

"It's... it's fine," Tempus said as they walked along. "I've come to terms with my loss over the years. Although I am curious... to me, it's been fifteen years since that war occurred, yet when I entered this world I could tell it has been longer. How long ago was that war exactly?"

"Over one hundred years ago," the teacher explained. "And we've gone so far since then; trade between worlds has become a rather common sight in the political world of Equestria these days, and even across Equus."

Tempus chuckled, before he paused as a faint icy tingle crossed his neck.

"Well, if you think I'm such a legend, then I bet you're going to love this," he said as an icy wind started to blow through the air, and with a snapping sound, a figure appeared before their group, bipedal with shaggy black hair, ripped jeans, combat boots, and a t-shirt under a leather jacket. On his right, a sword hung from his hip, and on his left he had a silver axe. The figure raised his head to look at the group with two different colored eyes, one orange and one purple, which gave off a slight glow as a pair of black dragon wings flapped once behind his back, before settling flat against it. The class went wild once again.

"Michael Watcher?! THE Michael Watcher- oh my goodness! This is the best field trip EVER!" the foals cried out, sounding like a group of fan girls at a concert. The Pyrunian chuckled, running a hand through his black hair.

"So, a hundred years pass, and we become this legendary?" he asked nobody in particular, demonstrating his ability to break the Fourth Wall, before smiling. "But hey, I ain't complaining. This is better than sitting around back home with nothing to do any day of the year."

The class finally composed themselves when they realized they had reached the square.

"Well... looks like we're here!" the teacher remarked, then added to the two legends (three if you count the dark side of Tempus), "I'm sorry if this took up your time... Seeing a legend in the flesh is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!"

 **"We're used to being treated like this. Back home, we're something of a legend now that Star Seeker's last novel about our history has become a best seller,"** Tempus's dark side said. A sad look crossed Tempus's face, before it passed quickly.

"And, Michael is basically a celebrity because of his affiliation with us royalty," Tempus said, smiling as he lightly punched the Pyrunian's shoulder, causing him to grin wryly.

"If you can't beat them, join them," Michael said with a shrug.

"Oh... well then, I guess we can continue the tour now," the teacher noted. "Thanks for your time!"

"Thank you!" the entire class called out.

"You're welcome," Tempus said, smiling. "We have something to do anyways."

With that, him, his dark side, and Michael spread their wings and took off, flying towards the castle. Once at the castle, naturally, they were stopped at first by some guards. However, once they had taken a good look at them, they looked surprised.

"P-prince Tempus!" one of them stammered. "You grace us with your presence, you and your friend. How can we be of service?"

"I need to speak with whomever is ruler right now," Tempus said. "There is some business I must attend to, involving the Elements of Time."

The guards nodded.

"That would be Princess Sunshine, daughter of the former ruler, Princess Celestia," the first guard answered. "We shall inform her of your arrival." He gestured to one of the guards, who rushed inside to deliver the message, then said, "Please, go right ahead."

Tempus dipped his head, before he, his dark side, and Michael walked inside. Once inside, they were led by another guard to the throne room, where a Changeling monarch, similar to Chrysalis but with eight red eyes and no wings, sat upon the throne. On her head, just in front of her jagged horn, was the crown of Princess Celestia, kept in perfect condition like it was brand new. She was also wearing Celestia's royal attire. Upon seeing the figures before her, she gave them a big smile as if she had been expecting them for a while.

"Sunshine," Tempus said, bowing alongside his dark side.

 **"It has been a while since we last saw each other, princess,"** Tempus's dark side said.

"I ain't bowing if you're waiting for it," Michael grunted, still a stubborn streak in him. The Changeling gave a giggle.

"There's no need to bow, old friends," she told them, standing from her throne even as she spoke. "You may lay off the formalities."

Tempus and his dark side stood, and then Tempus chuckled.

"Sunshine, I'd actually like to _formally_ introduce you to my dark personality," he said, smiling at the other alicorn as he spoke. "He finally decided to take a name up for himself. He chose Sundav."

"I suggested it," Michael muttered.

Sunshine smiled. "I like that name, Sundav." She gave him her hoof as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

 **"The pleasure is mine, Sunshine,"** Sundav said, shaking her hoof.

"Time to get to business," Tempus said. "I'm not sure you know our reason for coming Sunshine, but I can explain if necessary."

Sunshine gave him a smirk. "You wish to discuss the new bearers for the Elements of Time in this world, don't you?"

Tempus blinked, before a sly smile crossed his face.

"You take after your mother," he said, before nodding. "The Elements of Time wielded with the Elements of Harmony are a powerful force. Right now, the Elements of Time are incapable of being used because there is nopony who can wield them, except any of the former wielders, who all except for Flurry and Phantom Void, who are alicorns, and possibly Zachary, I am certain are deceased."

Sunshine's smile fell for a moment.

"Actually," she corrected. "To our knowledge, my cousin Zachary has passed on too. He gave up his immortality to stay with Sugar Plum, for he couldn't bear the thought of living on long after she had been deceased herself."

"Oh..." Tempus said, his cheerful expression falling as his eyes dropped to the floor. "I understand his choice... and I am sure he will have a good afterlife."

There was a hint of him hiding something when he spoke that last part.

 **"For the love of time Tempus, tell her!"** Sundav snapped. **"You said you would make the offer anyways!"**

"I'm getting to that Sundav," Tempus said softly.

Sunshine shook her head in amusement. "Please continue, Tempus."

"I may kind of have created my own afterlife..." Tempus said slowly. "I did it a while ago, and every so often I sneak into the Reapers' one and bring the souls I think deserve a better afterlife to mine... a few reunions could be arranged, for no cost, if you so wish."

It was obvious from the tone of his voice and how Michael was smiling warmly at her what Tempus meant. Sunshine smiled again.

"I would like that, and I believe that his father and mother would wish the same if they were present." She smirked. "But knowing them, you may meet one or the other, or both very soon."

"True," Tempus said, chuckling. "William always manages to surprise people."

"So, have you decided then who's to be the new bearers?" Sunshine inquired.

"I have an idea for the Element of Future," Tempus said, chuckling as he eyed Sunshine. "And she's right in front of me."

Sunshine was a little surprised, then she chuckled. "Of course you would," she said. "Like mother, like daughter."

"Exactly. However, the other Elements may be a bit of a hard situation..." Tempus explained, frowning. "Is there any of Applejack's descendants alive?"

"There's her grandchildren, and perhaps her daughter as well," Sunshine suggested.

"And do either have the same respect of truth that she had?" he asked, thinking.

"As stubbornly ingrained into them as she was from the beginning," Sunshine remarked.

Tempus laughed. "I should have guessed." A sad look crossed his face, and when he next spoke, his voice was low. "You know, the war affected me deeply... I've never really recovered from my sister or Star Seeker's deaths."

 **"Neither has our Celestia or Nightmare, but they don't get emotionally compromised every time it comes up,"** Sundav said, his dark voice lowered. **"You must be strong Tempus. Otherwise, you may not continue to be the prince you used to be."**

"We've all lost something," Sunshine agreed. "But we can't let it drag us down. They'd want us to keep going on."

"I know," Tempus said, before taking a deep breath. "Well, I think I'll take my leave and go to Ponyville with Sundav and Michael to see if I can find some suitable wielders. See you later Sunshine."

And with that, Tempus turned into a dark blue mist, shooting out a window followed by Sundav as a black mist.

"I ain't travelling that way," Michael muttered, before the Pyrunian vanished in a blast of icy wind.

* * *

Down in Ponyville, the quiet town hadn't changed much in one hundred years, unless you counted the obvious advances in technology that had occurred all over Equis as a whole. The townsfolk, sadly, were missing a few characters that would have been familiar faces for Tempus to see all around, even if they were normally background characters. He did notice one, however, that by all rights should not have been alive still: Derpy, flying about doing her everyday job as mail carrier.

"Of course Derpy is still around," Tempus said softly, chuckling quietly to himself before he trotted down the street, Sundav right beside him as in a blast of icy wind Michael appeared in the sky, flying over the town as he followed the two alicorns. Just then a flash of light appeared in front of them and a familiar mismatched character appeared before them.

"Oh, Tempus and Michael!" Discord greeted in a genuinely friendly manner. "So good to see you again, old friends! Where have you been all this while?"

"Discord. A pleasure to see you as always," Tempus said with a smile as Sundav dipped his head, a friendly twinkle in his glowing red eyes.

"Been on our Equestria, taking care of business," Michael said, hovering in the air. "How 'bout you Discord?"

"Oh, I've been feeling wonderful!" Discord remarked, sounding very excited and cheerful. "In fact, in just a few more months... Fluttershy and I may be blessed with yet another member in the family!"

 **"Congratulations,"** Sundav said, smiling to reveal his jagged teeth.

"Say, you happen to know if TD and Twilight are at the castle?" Tempus asked.

"Certainly!" Discord answered. "They're actually waiting on you, I'd assume." He then gave them a smirk. "However, if they don't meet you downstairs, give a holler to warn them. They could use a good wake up call now and then."

 **"I'll do just that,"** Sundav replied with a mischevious grin.

"Well, we'd best be on our way," Michael said, nodding at Discord. "Pleasure talking to you Discord."

With that, the group continued on down the road, although Michael did take the time and pleasure of doing some aerobatic tricks to stretch his wings out a good bit. When they reached the gates of the Castle, the door was answered by an Earth pony mare who had Twilight's lavender color and mane style, and TD's blue eyes. Judging from the power they could sense off her, it was a bit obvious who she was.

"We're here to see Princess Twilight and TD," Tempus said as Michael swooped down and landed beside him in a crouch, straightening up as his wings folded flat against his back.

 **"Tell them that three old friends have come for a visit,"** Sundav said with a chuckle.

The mare nodded, then trotted back inside calling, "Mom, Dad! Some old friends are here to see you!"

There was a moment's pause, and then two figures came walking up to the door to greet them. One was bipedal and the other was not. Only one seemed to have aged at all, and even then it was very slight; but the other, while still looking young, had certainly gotten much taller than they had remembered her, standing about as tall as Celestia had stood in life. TD and Twilight gave them a warm smile.

"It's been too long, my friends," TD remarked. "But it's good to see you nonetheless."

"That it has William," Tempus agreed, smiling.

 **"Twilight,"** Sundav said, dipping his head at the alicorn princess.

"Hey," Michael grunted in greeting, and although it lacked emotion, there was a warm glow to his eyes that spoke for what his voice didn't.

"Good to see you all again," Twilight greeted with a quick hug to them. She then gave a giggle and asked in obvious playfulness, "Have I gotten taller, or did you all get shorter?"

"You've gotten taller," Tempus said, laughing.

"Still ain't as tall as me," Michael added with a grin. "And I doubt you'll ever be."

"So, you've come to find new Elements of Time, haven't you?" TD asked. "Very well. Fire them at me."

"I already got one," Tempus said with a smirk. "Sunshine takes after her mother. She's the new Element of Future."

 **"I think he could have guessed that and probably already did,"** Sundav muttered.

"Anypony else you have in mind here?" Twilight inquired, looking to the male alicorn and his darker side.

"I was thinking of meeting Applejack's child or grandchildren to see if one of them would be a good fit," Tempus said.

"That's a good choice as well," TD agreed.

"Yeah, but Life and Time will be more difficult to find appropriate wielders," Tempus said, frowning.

TD and Twilight exchanged a look, then TD suggested, "For Life, you could try our daughter. We named her Bubble Heart, in memory of our dear friend."

 **"An appropriate name,"** Sundav said, smiling. **"Tempus is thinking of naming his next daughter Luna, after his sister."**

"And Chris has promised that one of his and Twilight's next children will be named Star Seeker, in memory of the greatest writer our world ever saw," Tempus added with a smile.

"That reminds me of a saying back in my world," TD recollected. "That our friends and family over the years are only ever truly gone if we forget them, and that they live on forever in our memories."

"I remember that from the years I hid on Earth, gathering up my strength before making my first inter-world jump to the world I now call home," Michael said.

"What about the descendants of your world's Starlight?" Tempus asked.

"Starlight's descendants... we're unsure where they are currently, for they've moved beyond Equestria," Twilight explained. "However, some of Diana and Thermidor's descendants remain and they are all well experienced in the consequences of disrupting time and misusing other such spells."

"Blame dear old Papa here for that," TD chuckled.

"I'll check in on some of them," Tempus said, before his face grew serious. "However, I do have an offer to extend to you two that I already extended to Sunshine."

"What is it?" Twilight inquired, although TD seemed to know what he was going to say.

"Are you saying what I hope you're saying?" he said almost inaudibly. Tempus nodded slightly, somehow having heard TD.

"I can offer a reunion with those who you have had to watch pass on." He said. "I've been monitoring the deaths of this world from my own, and every time I sensed the death of one whom I was friends with or cared for, I slipped into the Reapers afterlife and brought that soul to my own afterlife." He chuckled. "The first soul I actually tracked down when I returned home after the war was the first actual casualty in it."

 **"In other words, say yes,"** Sundav said with a chuckle. The two of them felt their tears falling and before any of them could protest, TD and Twilight had brought them into a group hug.

"That's a 'yes' from them," Bubble called from behind, giggling at the spectacle.

"I guessed so," Tempus said, chuckling. The alicorn's horn glowed a dark blue, and a portal opened up near them, glowing a dark blue color. The alicorn disentangled himself from his friends, followed by Sundav and Michael.

"Follow me. You can come too if you'd like Bubble," The Guardian of Time said, before him and his two companions walked into the portal.

"I'm coming!" the earth pony announced, trotting after them. TD and Twilight followed suit, the former feeling a surge of relief deep down inside. He took a deep breath and a smile crossed his face.

"It's good to be back," he said to himself, then he too stepped through the portal.

* * *

 **-In a different Canterlot Palace-**

Aqua walked back into the Canterlot Palace after a very exhausting journey into the Griffin Kingdom. It was almost night time, and he didn't want to disturb his dad right now, so he thought he'd see him in the morning to give him the great news about the success of their mission. Aqua sighed as he opened the door of his room, and then looked around. Nopony was there. He chuckled at his silliness, then removed his armor as a thought came to his mind that he should visit Ponyville to see Bold and Pumpkin's newborn foal tomorrow as well. After that, he lay on his bed, and then looked towards the walls of his room and saw the paintings hanging on the wall. The paintings he had learned to make himself. The paintings of his mother, his siblings and the other members of his family as well. Then he looked towards the paintings which were right in front of his bed, as if they were special. In these, he could see the beautiful face of somepony very special to him.

Sunshine.

A small sob escaped him, as he remembered her. It had been a really long time since he saw her last. Then suddenly, he felt like somepony was standing beside his bed. He turned his head and noticed a cloaked pony figure before him. He got startled, and the cloaked figure giggled; judging by the voice, it seemed to be a young mare.

"You miss her so much, don't you?" she asked.

"What are you doing in my room?" Aqua demanded with a steady voice. "Don't you know that this is the personal chamber of the Captain of the Royal Guards?!"

The mare giggled again as she removed her hood so Aqua could look at her face. She had a dark purple coat and red mane.

"Well, then allow me introduce myself: Elena the Planes-Walker," she said. "Now, don't you wanna see your marefriend again?"

She smiled and before Aqua could wonder where he had heard that name before, her cloak shrouded everything around them and they disappeared, leaving only a note behind.

 **[Transition]**

When Aqua looked around him again, he noticed he was still in the Canterlot Palace and presumably in his room, but something about it was different. The paintings had disappeared and it was now empty of decorations, or at least what were considered decorations for a palace. But something about it was... familiar... He took a look at the bed, and that's when it hit him.

This bed... it looked exactly like - but that was impossible... was it?

"I'm- I'm in... I'm in Sunshine's bed chambers?!" Aqua exclaimed in surprise. He looked around, but even Elena was nowhere to be found. However, he heard her voice like an echoed whisper call out, _"You're welcome!"_

Aqua wasn't sure how he should react to this. On the one hoof, he was feeling happy as he thought of Sunshine again; on the other hoof, he was a little worried that all of this could once again be a very vivid dream. As he thought about this, he could hear someone humming some kind of song in the distance, towards the direction of the throne room, and moving through the halls. It sounded like a female's voice, but something about it brought back some sweet memories to him, all revolving around a certain eight-eyed Changeling.

Aqua went out of the bed chambers and galloped towards the direction of that sweet and melodious humming sound. It had to be her! Aqua smiled as some tears began to flow from his eyes. The humming was now going louder, indicating that whoever was humming must been very near to him now.

Finally, he found himself standing in the throne room, staring ahead at a place where a balcony could be seen stretching out towards the land of Equestria and the sun was seen shining down through the opening it provided. Standing on the balcony was a large female Changeling figure, possibly a monarch of some kind. She had a rainbow exoskeleton, a large jagged horn, no wings, and from his angle Aqua could see several red insect eyes. On her head, where a kind of rainbow colored mane was seen, was a golden crown that looked very much like the crown of Aqua's grandma, Princess Celestia. Currently, the Changeling's horn was glowing with a golden aura and as he watched the sun slowly sank over the horizon, stopping only when her horn stopped glowing. Soon, the moon and stars shone in the sky above, highlighting her figure in moonlight. Aqua just kept looking at her without saying a word, as he wanted to make sure that all of this was actually happening, and even if it was a dream, he didn't want it to be end this time.

 _What if this IS a dream?_ Aqua thought to himself, as he wanted to call her name so badly. But he didn't, because if it was a dream, then as soon as he'd call her she'd just disappear, as had happened before every other time. So he just decided to keep looking at her while he still could, dream or reality. Eventually, the Changeling turned towards him, and she almost fainted when she saw him. Her eyes were wide open in utter surprise and disbelief, and her voice was quivering with emotion as she managed to speak.

"A-A-Aqua?" she asked. Although she was obviously much older than he remembered her, the voice alone was enough to confirm to him who she was.

"S-Sunshine?" Aqua soon realized that this wasn't a dream after all. "Sunshine!" He called out and galloped towards her while still shedding tears of joy. Sunshine rushed towards him as well and they both met half-way in a big hug, the Changeling giving off her purr-like hums of happiness as they embraced.

"Is it really you?" he heard her ask, sounding about ready to cry. "Please tell me this isn't a dream..."

"Yes, it's really me!" Aqua replied with a happy chuckle, "Trust me."

Sunshine finally gave in and let out her own happy tears as she hugged him tighter. She was now a bit taller than he was, but just by a foot or so. As such, she ended up leaning her head on his shoulder while she cried.

"I missed you..." she said softly through her tears.

"I missed you too..." Aqua replied, with his tears now flowing continuously as well. "I missed you so much..."

Sunshine managed a smile and nuzzled him affectionately, the hums coming a little faster as she held her long-lost treasure close to her once again. Aqua nuzzled her back with equal affection, as small blush formed on his muzzle. Hearing her melodious hums once again after so many years made him give a very joyous giggle. Sunshine then pulled away just enough so she could look to his face, focusing fully on his eyes.

"It's been... so long," she told him. "How long was it for you?"

"Well, you see... It's been almost thirty years for me..." Aqua replied making a thoughtful expression. "How... long was that for you?"

Sunshine's smile faded slightly as she gave her answer.

"More than a hundred years," she told him. Aqua's eyes widened as he heard that.

"It's been that long...?" Aqua knew that waiting for thirty years had been hard for him; how much harder must it have been on his dear marefriend? His eyes filled with tears once again as he brought his hoof towards her face to wipe a few tears. "I'm sorry, Sunshine."

"It's alright," she answered, her smile returning. "It wasn't your fault."

"If it was for me to decide, I would never have made you wait for that long..." Aqua said in a reassuring tone.

"I know you wouldn't have," she nodded, then gave a small happy sigh. "But in the end, it was worth the wait."

"It was..." Aqua said in reassurance. He hugged her close to him once again as a sob escaped his breath. "It really was, Sunshine..."

They were silent for a moment longer, the only sounds being the occasional sob and the Changeling's hums. Nothing else in the world could have bothered them at that moment in time. The entire castle could have exploded, and they wouldn't have even flinched. All that mattered was that they were reunited once more, after so many years of being apart. Aqua then pulled away a little to looked towards the face of his beautiful beloved and just stared into her eyes for the moment. The eyes he was willing to look into for the last three decades, but he knew that these eyes had waited for him much longer than that. Then without hesitation, he brought his muzzle closer to hers, and in a moment their lips touched each other's once again.

Sunshine eagerly returned his kiss and pulled him in close, feeling the love he had for her pour into her once more like a tidal wave. She had waited for this moment for so long, and now it had finally come back to her. Even so, she took her time in the kiss, savoring it for as long as possible, though she could sense both of their built up passion about to burst like a dam through that kiss. And so that happened as soon as Aqua deepened the kiss and brought himself even closer to her, feeling her sweet hums and hearing that beautiful rhythm even more clearly. Sunshine made a moan of pleasure as she let out all of her own passion into the kiss, feeling her heart pounding wildly from within. Never before had any of their kisses from before been this intense and loving. This one left them all behind and bound them to that moment as all time seemed to slow around the two lovers. Only the need for air caused them to pull out of the kiss, and even then they had pushed it as far as they could go.

After a moment later, Aqua smiled and leaned towards her for another deep, and affectionate kiss. The Changeling returned it just as quickly, savoring it with relish. She was feeling a bit tipsy from the amount of love being shared between them, but she didn't want it to go. If anything, she wanted more of it, and she never wanted it to leave. In fact, if she could help it, she planned on never having him leave her again. She made a moan once more and pulled him as close as she possibly could, trying to get as much as she could out of the pleasure they were feeling. Aqua literally could feelher heart beating in rhythm with his own, along with those melodious and sweet hums, and he was even feeling the movement of her chest along his own in same rhythm.

Now Aqua was actually feeling how painfully she had been waiting for his return. He was feeling lots of blissful emotions bursting like bubbles in his heart, as he kept himself as close to her as possible, not leaving any gap between them, whether metaphorically or literally. Soon they pulled away again and Sunshine giggled.

"You've been holding out on me," she said with a playful grin.

"Mmhmm..." Aqua hummed as he passed her a nod. Sunshine giggled again, then her smile suddenly faded as she seemed to realize something.

"Does your... family know you're here?" she asked him.

"My family...?" There was a momentary silence before Aqua seemed to realize this as well, and his smile also almost vanished. "I'm not sure if they know about this..."

Sunshine puzzled over it, then answered, "I can send them a message through the magic mirror. Aunt Twilight has it built to allow contact between other worlds if need be."

 _"It's been taken care of..."_ She suddenly heard a voice in her mind. _"_ _Don't worry, I left them a note, so they won't be worry about his absence... whenever they know of it."_

As she heard this voice, out of the corner of one of her eyes, she noticed a cloaked figure standing at a distance, looking into some other direction right now. Sunshine gave a small frown in the figure's direction, then chuckled.

"Guess somepony decided to help us out with that one," she said aloud. Aqua looked in the same direction and noticed the cloaked pony, "Elena," as well. Elena looked towards them as she removed her hood, and passed her a smile.

"Looking good you two!" She passed them a cheeky smile.

"You cheeky mare," Sunshine laughed. "You planned this reunion, didn't you?"

"You... know her, Sunshine?" Aqua asked a little confused while looking towards the cloaked mare. "She's the one who brought me here..."

Sunshine smiled again. "Of course. She's the daughter of one of the ponies who fought by our parents' side 100 years ago. Aqua, say hello to Elena."

"So, she's... Elena? Elena Dawnheart?" Aqua asked with surprise.

"I am, and yes I did plan this reunion," Elena admitted. "I just couldn't wait any longer, so I thought tonight should be a good time to reunite you." She giggled. "I'd have done this earlier, if I could... but there was always some reason for which that wouldn't be possible..." she explained in an apologetic tone.

"Well, I'm glad you did it when you were able to," Sunshine replied. "Thank you Elena. Your father would be proud."

"Thanks Sunshine," Elena said with a smile of gratitude, then she noticed the expression on Aqua's face, and passed him a smirk. "Don't worry lover boy. I'm leaving you two alone now..." she said as she hid her face in her hood once again. "Bye."

That was all they heard before her image faded away completely.

"Just like her father in more ways than one," Sunshine remarked with a chuckle, then she turned back to Aqua. "I'm glad that she let them know, but... I'm still a little worried that you may be taken from me again."

"No way..." Aqua replied straightforwardly. "I'm not leaving you again."

"But... your home..." Sunshine started. Even if she didn't want him to leave, she didn't like the idea of him leaving behind everything else either.

"I'll talk to them..." Aqua replied. "They have to listen to me now... I don't wanna leave you again..."

Sunshine managed to smile again when she heard this, then she spoke again.

"Aqua, remember when we were younger and I asked you what you wanted to be?" she questioned.

"I... do remember that." Aqua replied as he managed a smile again.

"Well one thing you talked to me about was becoming a prince," Sunshine continued. "And being a princess in Equestria... it can get lonely without somepony at your side. I guess... what I'm asking is..."

"Yes?" Aqua asked, as he wanted to listen to what she wanted to say. Sunshine felt nervous, but she composed herself and finished her question.

"Would you... be my prince?" she asked. Aqua made a thoughtful expression for a second, then smiled as a blush appeared on his muzzle. He held her hoof in his own and placed it on his chest.

"I... will be your Prince, my lovely filly friend... I will," he answered. Sunshine could almost not believe her ears. She had waited so long to hear those words or any equivalent to them, and now that she was hearing him say it to her for the first time, it was the best news she had ever heard. With a squeal, she hugged him tightly and found herself bouncing up and down in her excitement. Aqua giggled to see her excitement, then after a moment he remembered something that he wanted to tell her as well.

"Uh, Sunshine..."

Sunshine stopped bouncing and composed herself.

"Yes, Aqua?" she asked.

"You know you told me that you want to become an artist?" Aqua said.

"Yeah!" she answered enthusiastically. "I've actually managed to make some good art in my spare time and before I was given control of Equestria." She then looked puzzled and tilted her head, accidentally tilting it at a 90 degree angle. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I thought I should tell you..." Aqua explained, not at all deterred by her odd head angle. "It was really hard for me to be far from you at first..." He sighed. "But soon I realized that there was something which could keep me at peace while I was away from you..." Aqua smiled. "I've learned some of the ropes as well... I have made a lot of paintings, just to show you whenever we could meet again."

"Aqua, that's wonderful!" Sunshine exclaimed.

"Thanks..." Aqua replied as he nuzzled her again. "I wish there would be a way I could show you any of them right now..."

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," Sunshine reassured him. "Besides... your emotions have quite the story to tell in that regard. I can already tell that they're lovely."

Aqua smiled as he tilted his head at the side. Sunshine smiled back and gave him her own nuzzling, feeling her hums return when she did.

"You know, there is only one problem that your arrival is going to cause to my royal duties," she admitted. "And that's explaining where the new prince came from, and of course if he's married to me." She chuckled. "They always add that last part."

"So, would that be a problem?" Aqua asked her, seemingly in a naive fashion as he gave her a light giggle.

"Well, it would be..." Sunshine answered with a sly grin. "Unless a royal wedding was 'suddenly' being prepared."

"I guessed that," Aqua said with a giggle, as he nuzzled her affectionately. "You know what? I think that's a good idea. I don't wanna be away from you anyways."

Sunshine hummed loudly and she pulled him into a loving embrace, giving him a cheeky smile.

"Well then, my prince, what do you wish to do while the night's still young?" she asked him. Aqua didn't replied at this at moment as he kept looking towards her for the moment.

"Well," Aqua said. "Why don't we just snuggle for a while...?"

Sunshine smiled. "Right this way, lover boy."

Together, they exited the throne room and headed for Sunshine's bedroom. It was gonna be a long, love-filled night for both of them...

* * *

 **And with that, the series comes to a close...**

 **MADE YA LOOK! Actually, this was originally gonna be the "finale" finale, but after some chats with friends, we decided that we've still got quite a ways to go before our well runs dry. So we decided that we're gonna continue to do these stories for a little while longer. Most of them will be on our collab account, The Guardians of Existence, and will feature new adventures for our heroes. Besides, Joy Star may have had Screwball come around into his life to try and comfort him, but his story is far from over. And that will be obvious to see once I get around to publishing that with Admirer Boy.**

 **I'm the Terror of Dimensions, saying thank you guys so much for being with me on this journey! I hope to create more content for y'all in the future. Until then, keep up the good work!**

 **P.S. My girlfriend has told me I should probably make some animations or audio dramas for my stories. That's not a bad idea, but I'd need a lot of help with that. [Hint hint]**


	17. An Extra bit

**-Sometime before the ban-**

Philip never thought he could feel so scared. And considering that the fiery being had been in battle more times than he could count, that was saying something. It was more complicated than that, however, considering that the reason for his fear was currently within the crystal tree-like castle before him.

All his life, Philip had only known his father to be a heartless individual towards him, so it made him nervous about what TD would say to him. But he had to do this. If not, then the rift that was between them would only grow bigger. And deep down, even if he was grown now, Philip still possessed that childish desire and longing for his father's love and acceptance.

With a deep sigh, he opened the doors to the Castle of Friendship and followed the signature that he knew belonged to his father's magic, until it led him into the lounge of the castle. There, TD was sitting in a seat musing over some kind of journal. When he saw the room get illuminated a bit more by the light and felt the heat given off by Philip's form, he looked up with surprise.

"Philip? I thought you were still recovering," he remarked as he set the journal aside.

"You know I can recover quickly," Philip commented, raising an eyebrow and giving a chuckle.

"I know... but a father can worry about such things," TD replied, causing a silence to fall about the room. It was he who broke it, as expected. "I know why you're here. And before you say anything, I just- I want to say that... I know 'sorry' won't bring your mother back. I know it won't fix anything that I did or said to you back then, or how negligent I was to you. And I cannot stress enough how sorry I am for what I have done to you." Tears were forming in the human's eyes, even if he wasn't sobbing yet. "I don't deserve it, but I ask that you can find it in yourself to forgive me. Please... I don't want this to be a rift that stays between us... forever..."

Philip knew his father could be blunt and straight to the point when he needed to be, but this was not how he had expected it to go. Not to say that he doubted TD's words; he knew that his father was not a liar nor would he wish to lie to anyone in his group of friends and family. As bad as he had been, it was obvious that TD had changed. But could he truly forgive him?

"I... I don't forgive you..." Philip said after a moment, to which TD just bowed his head.

"I understand-"

"No, you don't father," Philip interrupted. "I don't forgive you, because you're not the same man I once knew. You are a different person, and I can't be mad at someone who didn't commit the crimes against me. It... it wouldn't be right. To you, or myself. And... you're not the only one who needs to apologize. I wanted to get revenge on you so badly, that I let it consume my very being. I was driven only by rage and the desire to harm. And in that rage, I harmed others who didn't deserve it. And then when I actually found you... I couldn't bring myself to kill you when you apologized at that one point here in Ponyville. And on top of that... there was that time at Canterlot... After that, I started to see how changed you truly have been. Now hearing that you have a ban to put up and me having to take care of the remains of Nameless's armies, I wanted to talk to you before I-"

"Oh, shut up and hug me already," TD cut in, and then suddenly the fiery humanoid was brought into the human's embrace, already feeling and hearing TD's tears sizzling on where they fell on his shoulder. While unfamiliar with the feeling, Philip knew what a hug was and soon returned it, thankful for once that TD was immune to fire and therefore was unable to be harmed in this fashion. TD held him closer as he cried some more.

"I've missed you, my little prince," he whispered. This made yet another unfamiliar emotion well up in Philip, and then he noticed the dark red, lava-like drops that were pouring out of his eyes and onto his father's shoulders.

"What... is this...?" the fiery man asked in confusion.

"I think... those are your tears..." TD answered him.

"Tears..." Philip said the word as if it was foreign to him, then hugged his father once more.

"I missed you too... Dad..."

For the next few moments, the only sounds to be heard in the castle were the tears of father and son reunited, even if for a short while. And for the first time since he could remember, Philip had found something better than revenge, something that made him finally feel at peace.

Acceptance.

* * *

 **I know I called this story "complete" and all, but I felt that there was one last problem that needed fixing.**

 **So, I hope you enjoyed this.**


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